WHY THEY’RE RUNNING

DAVIS: I am running for Taos County Sheriff because of the cultural war within law enforcement, which is reaching a boiling point. Most people who choose to work as a police officer are uniquely selfless. There is no money or glory and seeing the worst of humanity eventually, over time, takes a toll on a person’s soul. We are nearing a tipping point on who will enter this profession.

I entered policing at 44, idealistic, with some life experience. That combination has helped me serve the public with wisdom and compassion. I want to influence the thinking of deputies to bring back respect and remove jaded judgment toward the public and each other. The goal is to get deputies back to basics, reframe and remind staff of what our job is as a team. I will lead, not by words, but by example.

The public we serve must be the priority, yet deputy welfare must happen first to get the quality of service the public demands.

Full staffing of all patrol positions

■ must be filled and active to discourage mental duress and fatigue.

Additional staffing must be given to

■ implement positive and meaningful change.

Specific training for our

■ communities’ unique needs must be assessed.

Potential modern threats, such

■ as “active shooters,” must be addressed and training for all deputies implemented.

The state must start prosecuting

■ all crimes, including all petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors. When elected sheriff, I will change the course and culture of law enforcement. HOGREFE: Northern New Mexico has been my home for over 34 years and where I want to continue to serve the community I live in. I am running to continue bringing leadership, experience, accountability and training to the Office of Sheriff. We are a team now that brings a high level of integrity and accountability to the people and positive working relationships with community organizations and other agencies.

In my first term, we have added a K9, motor patrols, a modern policy/ procedures manual, immensely improved training and supervision, replaced the aging fleet, added three positions to the office, worked more closely than ever with schools, and brought critical joint training to them and other law enforcement agencies in Taos County. I’m most proud of the Sheriff’s Response Team (SRT) we developed to help conduct investigations and serve high-risk warrants.

As with most every agency in New Mexico, we struggle with having adequate staffing to “be everywhere we need to be.” Simply, we need a bigger budget and more deputies to better serve Taos County and I’m continually working with the commission to get more. We are currently fully staffed with what is budgeted for.

Repeat offenders now plague our community, as with the rest of New Mexico. To better help us protect our citizens, I’d like to enhance our patrol plan with additional staff, and I’d like to see offenders held more accountable, and the “catch and release” detention system changed so there is accountability to crime victims.