A lot has happened in the last few months to erode trust in law enforcement all over our country. As a California Highway Patrol veteran, the negative perceptions of law enforcement are personally dismaying. But cries to defund the police are equally concerning to me. Our neighborhoods will not be safe without well-funded policing.

Everyone needs to believe law enforcers will treat people they serve -- regardless of income or race – with fairness. I wore the CHP uniform for nearly 25 years and, from hard-earned experience, I know the vast majority of police officers serve with integrity and honor. Unfortunately, tragic exceptions occur, and when bad acts go unpunished, public trust in law enforcement gets damaged. That is why I was relieved to see criminal charges filed against the officer who killed George Floyd in Minneapolis and the other officers who stood by passively. If any community is to have faith in equality, criminal police acts cannot be ignored, and we must never stop critically examining police practices. If systems are failing, we must make effective and lasting changes.

Public safety reform was a big part of my law enforcement career. As CHP’s Legislative Liaison, I worked directly with the African American community, labor organizations, the Governor's office, legislators and law enforcement leaders. Our reform efforts included expanded training requirements on use of force and mental illness crisis intervention. I worked directly on legislation that improved transparency and accountability in law enforcement.

I know there’s no overnight fix for the mistrust some people feel for police, but a sincere start can be made. I feel the first step should be to form better relationships between law enforcement officers and our diverse communities. The criminal justice system must also address racism and bias. I support more training for de-escalation tactics, and I feel more outreach and education will foster better relationships with underserved and underrepresented communities. There should also be uniform and reliable procedures for reporting and handling police misconduct.  There are effective models we should explore to partner law enforcement officers with mental health clinicians and homeless navigators.  I look forward to working on all of these things as your next Supervisor.

When it comes to public safety, none of us should settle for “good enough.” If I’m elected supervisor, I will continue my career-long ambition: to achieve safety, justice, and fairness for everyone, in every community I serve.