Democratic Nucleus Club Speech
Phoenix, AZ

For over 30 years I have worn the uniform of a trusted lawman.

Beginning as a patrolman, and working my way up to become Chief of Police, I’ve been trusted to do the right thing when it comes to protecting those in need, or enforcing the law against those who have broken it.

The public’s trust of law enforcement must never be jeopardized. We have the ultimate authority to take away your rights, so we must be fair and just in making all decisions concerning your freedoms.

As a police officer, we are not only a guardian of our communities, but an example of honor and integrity.

Doing the right thing can not be compromised.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as we know it is compromised. It’s time for a change at the top.

The public’s trust is in jeopardy and those who should be protected are not being served.

During my long tenure in this profession, I have built a solid reputation of excellent service and professionalism among my peers in the law enforcement community.

Something needs to be done, something needs to change and it’s time for someone to lead the way to make things right.

We have to be assured that the rights of people will be protected and that the Office of Sheriff can once again be managed with honor and integrity.

We need to be tough on crime, we need to demonstrate that crime doesn’t pay, but we also need to really do what we say, and not make a show of it.

I’ve been very blessed with the opportunity I have been given in Buckeye.

We have taken an agency that was at least 25 years behind the times because of corruption and malfeasance within its ranks and brought it to a recognizable level of professionalism.

We have indicted police officers, fired police officers, and had several resign under the scrutiny of effective leadership which has created a new and exciting law enforcement agency.

These successes have allowed me to be elected to a second term as the President of the West Valley Chief’s Association and frequent invitations to speak on the topic of Leadership, Building partnerships, and Diversity among the West Valley cities.

Additionally, I have been asked to testify on several bills at the State Legislature and currently sit on a Senate sub-committee for data sharing.

My successes in law enforcement allow me to see what can be done to make Maricopa County residents safer, make the jails more efficient and to save the taxpayers’ money.

I hope that you will join me in my effort to do what is right.

Far too long we have allowed the sheriff’s office to go unchecked.

The scales of justice are out of balance and it’s costing us. It’s costing us lives, it’s costing us money, and it’s costing us something more important – our rights.

The public’s trust in law enforcement is in jeopardy and it’s time to make a change.

The truth of what’s happening now can be summed up in a quote by Robert F. Kennedy, “Whenever men take the law into their own hands, the loser is the law. When the law loses, freedom languishes.”