Have you ever been arrested? Ever had any tax liens? If so, start & resolution dates?

Ever arrested - No

Ever had tax liens - No

 

What are the three main reasons you are running for this office? Do you see any potential conflicts of interest?

1. I have a lifetime invested into the Pct. 1 community and want to see the Pct. 1 Constables office moved forward in a positive direction serving our community
2. I am a dedicated law enforcement officer in Montgomery County with a heart to serve
3. I understand the needs of our community and have the dedication, knowledge & experience to move the office forward and provide a better value of service to our community

   There are no potential conflicts of interest with my running for this office.

What are the three main reasons you are running for this office? Do you see any potential conflicts of interest?

I have 23 years of law enforcement experience in Montgomery County, served more than 14 of those years with the Montgomery County Pct. 3 Constable Office.  I have worked in nearly every division of the Pct. 3 Constable’s Office and supervised all divisions including Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Civil Division, Motorist Assistance Program & Administration including Budgets, Internal Affairs/Disciplinary Issues, Inter-Local Agreements w/other agencies, as well as fostering cooperative relationships and joint efforts with surrounding agencies to better improve the safety & security of our community.

What do you see as the 3 major challenges for your office over this next term?

1. Transforming Pct 1 into a proactive agency with community policing concept. Currently Pct. 1 is primarily only a reactive agency
2. Improving the negative department reputation and morale of the agency
3. Re-defining the partnerships with surrounding law enforcement agencies and that of the Justice of the Peace Office – (JP 1)

What goals do you have in mind, if you are elected, and to which you want to be measured against in the coming term?

I will transform the office into a proactive agency that serves.  I will establish community policing to engage the public.  Citizen input & involvement is key in the success of any law enforcement agency and our focus will be service to the community at the highest levels possible.

I will improve the negative reputation and morale of the office by implementing strategies through value-based leadership to motivate & inspire.  To encourage strong work ethic and accountability.  Improve time management and efficiency of the office.  I will re-build the confidence of our community to again trust in the leadership of that office.

I will establish partnerships with surrounding agencies to work together to fortify and strengthen our forces to better serve and protect our businesses, our neighborhoods and our schools.  I have a positive working relationship with many of our community leaders and future elected officials and we will work together for the common goal of serving our community at the highest levels possible.

Are the United States and Texas constitutions living documents?  Please answer in the context of Progressivism versus Originalism.   

They are both living documents in the sense that they are the fundamental principles that defined society yesterday; they do so today and should tomorrow so they live from generation to generation. However, opinions, beliefs, ideas change over time, but our basic principles should remain constant.  From the standpoint of Progressivism I feel that the interpretation of these documents changes throughout the times based on the opinions and beliefs of the society at the time of interpretation.  But from the standpoint of Originalism, I believe the founding principles are not open to interpretation and these are; that all men are created equal, granted the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and these rights should be governed by society and not the government.

What is the job of a Constable? 

The job of a Constable is to serve the citizens of the precinct in which they are elected at the highest level of service possible.  Constables are provided the same enforcement powers as all Texas Peace Officers to enforce state and local laws, as well as being the chief process servers for the justice courts.

Civic, Political or union organization or individuals to whom you have contributed (five years):

Texas Municipal Police Association, Montgomery County Law Enforcement Association, United Way, All Nations’ Worship Center, Assemblies of God Missions

Please describe the best way for the average voter to determine which candidate for this office is best.

The best way to determine which LE candidate will be the best leader of Pct 1 is to look at each candidate completely; including their background (personal life & professional), review their qualifications, history, law enforcement experience and overall character.  A leader should not be chosen based on what politicians or elected officials they are friends with or who they know and should not be based on how much money they have in their campaign finance account.  Leadership is rooted in who a person is, how they live their life and whose personal and professional history supports those values that display their character.  My personal life and law enforcement background speaks to the person I am and the leader I will continue to be as I serve our community.

Where do you think the possibility for corruption resides in county government?  How would you handle it in your department, even if you think there is none?

On a broad scale, I feel that corruption seems to follow career politicians.  Local leaders who spend too many terms in office tend to allow corruption to dominate their decisions instead of the best interest of the citizens they are elected to serve.  The determination of what “too many terms” means can vary based on the politician and the circumstances, their community involvements, etc., and it would be up to the citizens to not re-elect those officials.

I fully believe that public officials and law enforcement officers should be held to a higher standard.  In my department we would have policies and procedures in place to provide standards and expectations and would hold individuals accountable to safeguard against corruption.  However, there is no fail-proof way to prevent corruption and I would utilize the assistance of the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit as well as the Texas Rangers to ensure accountability of any accusations of wrong-doing and avoid conflicts of interest in serious matters.

How many hours a week working cases does it take to be a "good" law enforcement officer?

Whatever it takes to get the job done to achieve successful results.  As a current investigator and previous supervisor over a criminal investigations division, I know first-hand there is not a unique number of hours that can be put on any one case investigation.  They all vary depending on the case type, information received, information needed, case load, etc.  The key is case management and the ability to efficiently manage time.

How many days off per year should the officeholder of this position take to learn (seminars & workshops) or teach (give educational or motivational talks) or network with other county officials?

I do not believe there is a number that can be deemed as reasonable or not reasonable.  As long as the elected official properly manages their time, accomplishes the job they were elected for, and serves the citizens they were elected by, then number of days for different assignments is not significant.

What have you done to prepare for serving in this role?

My 23 years of law enforcement service, 14+ years of service at the constable’s office, along with my extensive training and education have all prepared me for this role.  My personal life and dedication to serve speaks to the person that I am and the leader I will be.

Who is endorsing you and what is their relationship to you?

I have not received any official public endorsements from elected officials or current candidates at this time.

What are the top 3 areas where the budget for this office needs to be adjusted?

1. The rank structure that determines salaries appears to be out-dated for the needs of that office.
2. There will be a review of the efficiencies of the office to obtain more productivity from the current personnel without the need to increase the budget.
3. There will be a review of departmental equipment, training and overall expenses to determine the needs for an increase or decrease in supplies and equipment line items.

What is your position on taking federal money for your department?

I am not opposed to taking federal money for our department if it was to be used for equipment that is practical and necessary to better serve the citizens of our community and in no way restricts our agency to federal stipulations.

How will you improve the transparency and access to financial and other records for the public?

Government is the servant and not the master of the people and unless there is a specific exception under the law that we are required to honor, then any request would be honored under the guidelines laid out by the Montgomery County Attorney’s Office and promptly provided upon request as entitled under the Freedom of Information Act.

What is your knowledge/opinion on Strong Cities Network?  What action would you take if the Biden administration attempts to implement it?

This network is some sort of government effort to partner local communities and national authorities to pool resources together to encourage action on a global scale.  In theory it would be a great idea; however, any collaboration with the federal government on such a large scale initiative would only turn into a huge waste of taxpayer money and increase federalism on the local level removing power from the states.  As Constable, I would work with my local and state governments to try and restrict this federal movement into our state.

What is your position of dash/body cams & public availability of that info

Cameras are a necessity in today’s world.  Not only do they suggest transparency to the citizens we serve, they provide a much-needed level of protection to the officers from false accusations and can be crucial in the event of injury or death to an officer.

How much of a problem is county hiring based on the "good old boy" / "loyalty to leadership" instead of one's ability to efficiently and ethically perform their tasks and functions? and what can realistically be done about it?

I feel that this problem has improved somewhat over the last few years; however, it is still a significant problem in our county.  And it will continue to be a problem until we elect leaders that are not part of the society of “good ole’ boys”, leaders who do not carry forward that mindset and who have character and integrity.  Any problem with this will be immediately corrected at the Precinct 1 Constable’s Office when I am elected.