JOHN HEMMERLING: I WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENSURE NO ONE DIES IN JAIL

Q: Rate ex-sheriff Bill Gore and assess his legacy. What was his biggest accomplishment? What did he most neglect?

A: During my 30 years as a Marine Corps officer, we had a saying: “He stood the watch.” For five decades, including 32 years in the FBI and 17 years at the Sheriff ’s Department, Bill Gore stood the watch. He devoted his life to serving the community. Sheriff Gore was particularly effective in obtaining increased funding during tough economic times.

The most obvious deficiency was his failure to protect and preserve human life in our jails. On the day he left office, state auditors reported that 185 individuals died in county jails from 2006 through 2020 — and that number has climbed to over 200 under the current administration. The audit cited “Ongoing risk” and “Underlying systematic issues.” These deaths continue under the Sheriff ’s Department’s “lethal status quo.”

According to the most recent reports by the San Diego Association of Governments, violent crimes, including gang violence, have risen to heights that we haven’t seen in many years. Crime should be decreasing. As sheriff, I will partner with every local agency, and state and federal partners, to root out the violent criminals who terrorize our neighborhoods.

Not everyone in San Diego County has the luxury of positive and proactive law enforcement support. Victims deserve a strong law enforcement response. Victims deserve to be heard, informed and protected. We don’t need more laws to protect the community — we need a professional, unbiased law enforcement response. Equal protection is not just a constitutional issue, it’s a public safety issue!

Q: What are the three largest issues that contribute to the high number of San Diego County jail deaths and what would you do to address them? A: I will do everything possible to ensure that no one dies in our jails. As a Marine battalion commander in Iraq, I commanded — without incident — four prison compounds with thousands of prisoners. We provided a comprehensive medical screening of every detainee upon admission. As sheriff, I will ensure our jail policies align with best practices when performing intake health evaluations, including follow-up medical and mental health care, frequent safety checks and correcting all the deficiencies identified in the auditor’s report.

We need fresh, new leadership. In February, The San Diego Union-tribune published shocking photos of a dead rat in a medical examination room and heaps of trash and human waste in a jail unit for psychiatric patients. This filth reportedly led to an outbreak of bacterial infections. As sheriff, I will provide strict guidance and direction, including no-notice inspections to ensure such unsanitary conditions never happen again!

Despite increased county funding, the Sheriff ’s Department has failed to provide adequate physical and mental health treatment in our jails. When I’m sheriff, I’ll ensure Behavioral Health Services and the county Health and Human Services Agency provide life-saving and life-preserving medical and psychiatric care to inmates, both during booking and after receipt of custody. Deputies should not be responsible for doing the job of professional behavior health staff. I will demand better! I will avoid senseless deaths by providing essential screening, treatment and supervision of inmates suffering from mental illness and those with a higher risk of death due to drug overdose.

Public safety and the protection of human life will be my top priority as your sheriff.

Q: How would you rate the Sheriff ’s Department efforts at recruitment and retention? Do you think the staff reflects the diversity of San Diego County and how do you think it should change? A: I believe the people in San Diego County want a Sheriff ’s Department that reflects the community it serves. I will strive to always achieve that goal. I will actively recruit the best candidates, encouraging applicants from communities of color. And I will ensure every deputy sheriff is trained on implicit bias, diversity and inclusion, de-escalation and handling people in mental crises.

I believe more effective recruitment and increased diversity will come when there is a renewed sense of trust and pride in being a deputy sheriff. It’s hard serving in law enforcement these days, due to the negative press and shifting attitudes by some in the community to police officers in general. Deputies who already had felt underpaid and underappreciated felt less supported in light of “defund the police” and overreaching vaccine mandates.

Morale in the San Diego County Sheriff ’s Department is low, which also affects recruitment and retention. In the military, we called this a “poor command climate.” When I am sheriff, I will provide fresh, new leadership. I will be accessible and accountable. One morale killer I will address right away is the split that divides detention and law enforcement deputies. I will work with the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County to improve working conditions, including better pay and benefits, increase advancement opportunities, and institute sound, constructive changes to prevent stagnation and improve morale.

Q: What do you think about the growing use of surveillance tools in law enforcement? How should the Sheriff ’s Department use them and how would you balance public safety with privacy and community concerns?

Q: Department data has shown that San Diego County deputies are more likely to use force on people of color. What would you say to affected communities about this? What, if anything, would you do to address it? A: I served almost a decade as a San Diego police officer, serving in Mid-city — one of the highest crime beats in the county. I am proud of the community connection I had there and how I took time to know and help families. Connecting with people promotes trust and transparency.

There is no place in the Sheriff ’s Department for deputies who would allow racial (or gender) bias to interfere with the fair and just execution of their duties. Each must consider: Is the force necessary? That must be determined on a case-by-case basis — often a split-second decision. Officer welfare and public safety cannot fall victim to a social scientist’s data sheet.

As sheriff, my ultimate goal will be protecting people’s lives. I will ask: Which communities are most impacted by crime? Is there a trend? Are they receiving adequate support? Or are they neglected because they cannot afford the same level of staffing as other neighborhoods with more money? Failing to provide adequate law enforcement to underrepresented communities is just as inappropriate as over-policing. Equal protection under the law is not only a constitutional right, it’s often a matter of life or death!