Legislative District 19

My idea of public safety is that all people should feel secure and safe wherever they are. They should not have to worry about crime, police, or harassment because of who they are, their skin color, religion, sexual preference, origin, or anything else that makes them different. We should all be able to contact police when needed without fear and rely on them for assistance when needed. We can do this with proper police vetting and training and with other programs that promote community involvement and acceptance.

I would propose and support measures that create a mental health action team to respond to applicable calls without police intervention. We need more behavioral intervention programs that help young people on a bad path get back on track and provide educational programs that provide more opportunities in the workforce. We also need free, accessible programs for those dealing with addiction and alcoholism. We need programs with an overall goal of reducing recidivism and ensuring inmates’ transition back into the community. We should provide inmates with programs and services while incarcerated to prepare them for release and then provide them with supportive services in the community. Similar programs have shown to be effective and lowered the chance of rearrests to 10%. We need to properly train and vet police officers and encourage more mental health professionals in the work force.

I would like to see more crisis management and de-escalation training for police.