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Tell us about your background, experience, and/or training qualifies you to hold this office?

I hold a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a M.S. in Police Executive Leadership. I also worked as a corrections officer for three years in the Philadelphia Prison System, and spent the past seven years as a Deputy Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Detective for the Office of the Sheriff of Philadelphia City and County. That’s ten years of working closely with detainees, management, and processes and procedures of the sheriff’s office in relation to foreclosures, property seizure and enforcement.

If elected as Sheriff, what are the top three goals you would like to accomplish?

Accountability:

  • Creating a culture of openness and responsible and efficient responses to inquiries and questions.

Integrity:

  • Establishing ethical practices as the norm, not the exception

Transparency:

  • Educate the public on policy and procedure while regularly providing statistics on foreclosures, seizures, operations, and any and all processes and procedures that directly affect the public. The more that is known about the office, the more effective it will be in serving the people.

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?

Anyone in a position of leadership to prey on women should be held accountable and face the consequences of such an egregious act of betrayal. Such consequences should include: Immediately stepping down from the position while the charges are being investigated; protection of the plaintiff from reprisals involving transfer and/or any sort of harassment from office administration; criminal charges, if warranted from the investigation, should be executed to the full extent of the law including imprisonment. There is no place in government, especially for an elected official, for people who betray the sacred trust of the people.

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?

Promoting transparency is essential to the empowerment and education of Philadelphia residents as it relates to the Sheriff’s office, particularly dealing with foreclosed properties. If elected, I will be proactive in establishing and cultivating relationships with local agencies to provide homeowner education and referrals and resources on how to maintain and keep their homes. This would also highlight the public process of Sheriff sales; focus on community engagement and the necessity to meet people where they are.

What role do you believe the Sheriff’s Department should play, if any, in promoting and advancing criminal justice reform in Philadelphia?

As a law enforcement agency, the Sheriff’s Office absolutely has a role in criminal justice reform, but it is also an arm of the court and much of its responsibilities come in the form of direct orders at the end of a legal process. Still, the office is heavily involved in prisoner transfer and detention as well as executing warrants and insuring the effectiveness of protection from abuse orders. In this capacity it can partner with local non-profit agencies in providing guidelines for prisoner protection; help in support of people re-entering the system from prison; and assist in providing information on housing, job training, and even temporary shelters.

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.

For years I have been part of various grassroots efforts and collaborations that focus to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community from churches to non-profits. I was also very active in community outreach while at the sheriff’s office. These efforts, which I would continue, create safe spaces for the community to voice their concerns and receive information to address those concerns. This also helps to cultivate the strong and dependable relationships necessary for satisfaction on both ends by providing a seat at the table for the public, and an ear at the same table that is willing to listen and respond in kind.

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?

Issues of mental health are always a concern for any law enforcement agency because it’s first contact with individuals is often of a confrontational nature where life or death decisions have to be made quickly. With that in mind it is imperative that sheriff’s deputies receive proper training in identifying behavioral markers that signal a mental illness of some sort. If elected, I will implement trauma-informed training to all deputies, both current and new hires. This training/policy will improve awareness and appropriate response in situations that may be fueled by a mental illness in which the individual is unaware of his/her actions. Ensuring the Sheriff’s office staff is properly trained and informed creates a higher level of safety and effectiveness that protects both the individual, and the officer(s) on the scene.

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?

Both renters and homeowners in Philadelphia now face a myriad of challenges ranging from unfair assessments, to gentrification and landlords illegally evicting renters with impunity. If elected, I will implement monthly seminars for renters at different locations throughout the city to inform them of their rights as tenants and provide brochures with referral numbers for housing and legal advice. This would also be done for homeowners to provide information on tangled deeds, scams to get their homes, and the importance of staying current with their mortgage and/or not ignoring foreclosure notices. Additionally, I would make use of pod casts, radio advertising, newspaper ads and community meetings to spread this information as far and wide as possible. Empowering the community through education helps to restore faith in the leadership it has elected to represent them.

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?

Transparency as it relates to purchases from foreclosures is important. Under my leadership the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office will be more proactive in releasing information by building relationships with local media outlets and city residents so they feel comfortable contacting us for information. As Philadelphia Sheriff, I pledge to have an open –door policy, providing as much information as possible to keep people informed. The proposed bill to require LLC’s to disclose the largest human owner would go a long way in identifying those groups who are currently abusing the system.

Once this becomes law, I would implement it with enthusiasm and audit the sheriff’s office to ensure it is being obeyed at every level of operation—from the issuing of deeds to the bidding process itself.

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?

The proposed sheriff sale moratorium introduced by Councilman Jones highlights very significant factors that impact our city, specifically, the focus on the exploitation of poverty in Philadelphia. Understanding these concerns, it is necessary to have an analysis of the moratorium resolution by both the First Judicial Courts and the Sheriff’s Office collectively. The Sheriff’s Office is constitutionally bound to adhere and execute court orders and would be in full compliance with any such order under my leadership.

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?

As Sheriff, I would seek to make the management and placement of Sheriff Sale advertisements an internal function. The office could easily take on such responsibilities involving distribution, dissemination, and interactive capabilities through the web site at a fraction of the current costs that include exorbitant commissions for third-party agencies charged with placing announcements of sheriff sales in local papers. The law, however, that requires this way of advertising the sales would also have to be changed before such cost-cutting tools could be implemented.