Tell us about your background, experience, and/or training qualifies you to hold this office?
Tell us about your background, experience, and/or training qualifies you to hold this office?
I am a retired military veteran with over 20 years with the Army Reserve, while working for over 15 years in the Philadelphia Prison System: 10 years as a Correctional Officer, and five years as a an Investigator for Internal Affairs.
I spend 11 years in the Sheriff Office as a Deputy and retired as a K-9 specialist. I have been trained in such areas as narcotic investigation, homeland security and weapon of mass destructions, including explosives detection as a K-9 Handler. I am an instructor in homeland security and weapon of mass destruction.
I am the most qualified candidate for Sheriff, and I offer this city the education, experience and training that reflects the current need for security in our society.
If elected as Sheriff, what are the top three goals you would like to accomplish?
Restore the image of professionalism in the Sheriff Office by implementing policies that reflect the values of integrity, community, transparency, honor and professionalism. Operate an office based on meritorious promotions vs the current pay to play scheme of donations to administration’s pet peeves.
Promote a seamless, streamline system between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. My office will be open to suggestions and working together with others.
Fiscal and operational accountability by working in conjunction with the prison and court systems to ensure safety for all court personnel, as well as those person in our charge for court proceedings. Work diligently with the City Comptroller’s office to make necessary adjustment to fiscal efficiencies according to audit reports.
What is your understanding of and position on claims of harassment made against the current holder of this office? What actions, if any, do you think should be taken to address such claims and ensure a safe workplace for all?
I understand as a person seeking one of the highest elected Law Enforcement Office in the County of Philadelphia the need to stress due process and that a person is innocent until proven guilty by one’s peers in a court of law. However, the appearance and the recent payout of $127,000 of taxpayer’s dollars combined with a previous payment of over $30,000 while this person was a State Legislator is very bad for the image of law enforcement, not to mention the third pending civil suit of sexual harassment by another employee of the Sheriff Office against the current Sheriff. I think that Mayor Kenney’s call for the current Sheriff to resign is appropriate, given the number of sexual allegations and financial settlement by taxpayer’s dollars against this individual.
- Additionally, as a husband father, grandfather of females I would shudder to think of them being exposed to the type of sexual allegations made against the current sheriff, if true.
- I further believe that payment for settlements against an individuals after due process and found guilty of allegations should also be the responsibility of the person accused.
To ensure a safe, sexual harassment free workplace, all administrative staff and supervisors will be fully familiar with the city’s policy on sexual harassment and the Mayor’s Executive Order No. 01-18 Sexual Harassment Prevention in City Government. The city’s current approved curriculum and hours of trainings for the prevention of sexual harassment shall be implemented for each employee and contractor of services with the Sheriff Office, as well as requiring that a copy of the Sexual Harassment policy is received upon employment. The policy should be dated and signed upon receipt and a copy placed in each person’s file. So in short, I would enforce the city’s Sexual Harassment guidelines concerning investigating and resolving complaints. Follow the appropriate mandated disciplinary actions as prescribed by the city’s policy. Of course in the case of rape or sexual assault or any other conduct of a criminal nature the Philadelphia Police Department shall also be notified.
What steps would you take to promote transparency and openness in decision-making by the Sheriff’s Department, especially in the management of foreclosed properties?
Transparency in all transactions dealing with finance will be open to the public in accordance to the City’s Controller’s office guidelines. Foreclosed properties financial reports shall be audit on a regular basis by internal auditors and all reports submitted to the Controller’s office. The City’s Finance Department guidelines will also be followed.
Any and all contracts with outside vendors will be done on an open process allowing fair and equal opportunity to contract with the Sheriff Office in accordance to the City Home Rule Charter governing contracting for services.
What role do you believe the Sheriff’s Department should play, if any, in promoting and advancing criminal justice reform in Philadelphia?
Although the Sheriff Office is a law enforcement division of our government, the Sheriff can be a vital partner in advocacy for fair and equal treatment of all citizens; poor as well as the rich; victims of crime, as well as those accused of crime.
I am in complete agreement with the current city of Philadelphia reform plan to:
- Reduce the incarceration of pretrial defendants
- Increase efficiencies in case processing
- Address violation of probation
- Reduce racial and ethnic disparities
- Reduce the number of people in jail with mental health
- Increase cross-system data capacity
- Foster meaningful community engagement.
I would also add to the city’s reform plan the need to examine promoting adult basic education and mentoring programs to reduce and prevent crime, especially since studies that indicate that 80% of those incarcerated dropped out of high school around age 16 years old.
What steps would you take to build bridges between the Sheriff’s Department and Philadelphia communities? Specifically discuss the ways that you plan to engage local communities if elected.
Once the image of the Sheriff Office is restored to one of professionalism, we can therefore better engage local community organizations in supporting residents in maintaining their homes and neighborhoods. We plan to be an integral partner with Community Legal Services and housing advocates such as Tenant Action Group and others, including housing advocates; such as a Sister Scullion of Project Homes, and other religious and community leaders.
Given the prevalence of mental health issues in the criminal justice system, how will you work to address mental health awareness at the Sheriff’s Department, including training for sheriff’s deputies?
My office will meet regular with Philadelphia Office Of Behavioral Health, Community Behavioral Health, Behavioral Health Training and Education Network and other such agencies to receive training and dialogue with those responsible to the servicing those consumers who are overcoming behavioral health challenges.
What protections would you put in place for renters and homeowners whose homes go up for sheriff’s sale, in addition to the federal and state protections already in place? Additionally, what actions would you take to ensure homeowners and renters have sufficient information about the foreclosure/ejectment process?
The only protection that I know of today to assist renters and homeowners whose homes go up for sheriff sale is to present them with information about the resources available to assist them during this process. What are their rights and how to safeguard their rights are important to those in distress? A list of community agencies will be provided for those who find themselves faced with sheriff sales and foreclosure/ejection process.
How would you ensure that land sales from foreclosures are done transparently and in a way that promotes equitable development? Relatedly, Philadelphia recently passed a law requiring LLCs to disclose their largest human owner — would you do the same at sheriff’s sales?
If the City legislative body have made this a requirement in the City of Philadelphia then the Sheriff Office will follow the Legislative and Judicial body recommendations. So the answer is yes.
Councilman Jones recently introduced a resolution calling for a moratorium on sheriff’s sales because those sales have recently opened the door to investors that are “taking advantage of the poverty within [Philadelphia].” Do you support this moratorium? Why or why not? If not, under what circumstances would you support a sheriff’s sale moratorium?
I absolute support a moratorium on Sheriff Sales until a thorough investigation and research is completed to examine the problems of individuals losing their homes. I am particularly alarmed by some of the antidotal information that I am receiving about properties being sent to law firms for collection of tax without the city notifying the residents of tax delinquencies and other similar procedural stories.
What actions would you take to minimize fees and costs for low-income Philadelphians going through the foreclosure process? For example, the Sheriff’s Department spends nearly $5 million annually advertising foreclosure sales, the costs of which are transferred to the property owners losing their homes. What would you do to control these and other costs and protect the equity low-income homeowners have built in their properties?
Perhaps it would be to our advantage as a city to attach such cost to the person purchasing the properties rather than on the person already in distress of losing their properties.
Additionally, it is important to control the cost of transferring property of those owners losing their homes by ensuring that fiscal sound practices are followed by policies that are in line with transparency and the requirement of the Sheriff Office.