The Platform
Emphasize Criminal Justice Reform
We’ve seen since the 1990s that a “tough on crime” stance does not deter crime and often hardens low-level offenders by forcing them into a cycle of poverty and hopelessness. It’s time to be “smart on crime” by focusing on serious offenses and understanding the power of rehabilitation.
- Increase the number of inmate programs in the jail designed to prevent recidivism
- Workforce skill development
- Spiritual development
- Educational opportunities
- Increase partnerships within the community in order to create high-quality work opportunities for well-adjusted inmates.
- Create a culture that respects people’s rights and needs
- Make items available to inmates for purchase and more affordable
- Reduce the cost of phone calls to family
- Address the connections between poverty, drug addiction, isolation, and crime
- Work with the District Attorney and judicial system to create more diversion paths for nonviolent, low-level, or youth offenders
Improve Department Policies and Introduce Fresh Ideas
A 2018 audit of the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department revealed deep institutional problems including low morale, high turnover, low standards of training, and inefficient hiring practices. Law enforcement agencies around the country currently face many of these problems, but we can’t keep doing the same things and expecting different results. I have worked with my team to address many of these concerns, but we have more work to do and are determined to meet that challenge.
- Continue to implement changes in policy that will help department staff feel more valued and respected. A few include:
- Create opportunities for cross-training and job advancement for civilian staff
- Rotate duties so that new deputies aren’t stuck doing the most difficult and grueling work
- Continue to support the CCSO Advisory Board within the agency
- Introduce even more training programs to help advance the career paths of CCSO staff
- Increase joint training between the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the University of Georgia Police Department, and the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department
- Create more training, community interaction, educational, and conference travel opportunities for Sheriff’s Department staff and deputies.
- Streamline hiring practices and make incentive programs more efficient
Continue to Develop a Culture of Proactivity, Transparency and Outreach
For too long, the Sheriff’s Department has allowed its low profile to act as a cover, as opposed to being accountable and transparent to the public that it serves.
- Commit to radical transparency
- Any policy changes affecting the public will be announced in a forthright manner
- Noteworthy incidents will be reported to the public as quickly as possible, along with any investigative findings
- Admit to mistakes and wrongdoings
- Participate in more public outreach events in order to cultivate a real, lasting relationship
- Coordinate regional crime fighting initiatives with other counties as the top law enforcement official in Clarke County
- Sex trafficking, drug trafficking, and gang violence doesn’t stop at the county line
- Continue to implement changes recommended by the Obama Administration’s “President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing”
- Many changes involve procedures related to public outreach, sensitivity training, and transparency.
Guarantee a Safe Community for All
Gang and gun violence are a rising problem in our community. Safety in our schools is threatened on a daily basis. There are some who feel that because the Sheriff has not directly addressed these issues in the past, I should not be involved now. It’s important to uphold our promise to protect and serve everyone in Athens-Clarke County, regardless of color, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or citizenship status. As Sheriff, I will not stand by and wait for others to address these major issues in our community.
- Partner with all public safety agencies to address local problems as a unified front
- Share critical data and intelligence information with our public safety and health parties
- Require “Bias in Policing” training for all new hires.
- Work to incorporate more resources for Spanish-speaking residents of Clarke County
- Serve warrants and protective orders in a timely manner to ensure the safety of victims of crime or domestic violence.
- Work with every area of the judicial system to protect victims of domestic violence and ensure that firearms stay out of the hands of domestic abusers.
- In the United States, over half of all firearm-related homicides of women aged 15 or older are committed by intimate partners, ex-intimate partners, or family members.