Hidalgo County Democratic Party Sheriff Applicant Questionnaire

Hidalgo County Democratic Party Sheriff Applicant Questionnaire
The mission of the Hidalgo County Democratic Party is: to nominate Democratic
candidates for elected office; to assist Democratic candidates with their campaigns for
elected office; to run honest, efficient primary elections and conventions; to promote the
Democratic platform.
As an applicant for the Hidalgo County Democratic Party’s nominee for Hidalgo County
Sheriff, please complete this questionnaire to showcase your views. Questionnaires
should be returned to Kenna Giffin at [email protected] or by mail to
Kenna Giffin, HCDP, P.O. Box 4585, McAllen, TX 78502-4585 no later than 5 p.m.
Friday, July 18, 2014. If completing my mail, please add additional pages as needed to
answer the questions. Thank you for your willingness to serve.
Name:
Cell #:
Juan Gonzalez
956-355-9927
Email Address: [email protected]
1.
What qualifications do you have to serve as sheriff? My Resume is attached
to this questionnaire.
 25 Years of Law Enforcement Experience
 Master Peace Officer License
 Chief of Police
 Graduate of the FBI National Academy Management School
 Graduate of the UTPA Certified Public Manager Program
 Law Enforcement Trainer
2. Why are you interested in this position?
As an Hidalgo County resident and Law Enforcement Officer for over twenty-five years I
would like to continue to serve my community in this capacity and establish county wide
crime control programs to reduce gang violence, juvenile crime and violent crimes.
With my extensive Law Enforcement Experience and Management skills, I know that I
can improve the quality of life and build a strong ethical relationship between the Hidalgo
County Sheriff’s Department and the residents of this county.
In December of 2012 the Sheriff’s Department was engulfed in a wide range of
corruption allegations that eventually led to many arrests and the conviction of the
leadership of the department. My commitment is to build a stronger ethical attitude and
change the cultural of public service at the Sheriff’s Department.
3. What management experience would you bring to the position (include military
and education experience)?
I have over 15 years of law enforcement management experience and have graduated
from two internationally and nationally recognized management schools.
The FBI National Academy and the University of Texas at Pan American Certified
Public Manager Program. I am also currently serving as the Interim City Manager for the
City of San Juan, Texas.
4. What are the three top issues facing the Sheriff’s Department today? How would
you address these issues?
This department is facing many critical management issues from top to bottom that new
protocols, policies, systems and programs need to be implemented in the first ninety days
of a transition phase in order to regain the trust of hidalgo county residents and the law
enforcement community. .
The first and most important internal issue at hand is the lack of inexperienced
management leadership that is being developed at the sheriff’s department. The
attendance, performance and conduct of the employee’s are a clear reflection of the
leadership in the department. A mandatory management training program needs to be
established and hold supervisors and managers accountable for their actions and
inactions. The first line supervisors and managers need to set the ethical and integrity
standards of the department through a rigorous field training program.
Secondly, the employee’s internal lack of trust on management, inadequate policies, low
morale, poor ethical attitudes and the inability to hold employees to perform above
standards as public servants is a clear indication that the department has lost the focus of
its purpose and mission. There is a need to establish a strong ethical training and integrity
program for all employees in order to change the culture, attitude and atmosphere in this
department.
Finally, the lack of an employee Early Warning Monitor System is critical to the
administrative and field operations of the department. The need to monitor the
attendance, performance and conduct of all Hidalgo County Sheriff’s office employees is
essential in order to be efficient and provide the best customer service to our hidalgo
county residents. This management system will monitor the employee’s; alcohol and drug
abuse, excessive citizen and co-worker complaints, excessive use of force incidents, their
excessive abuse of sick leave and their off-duty conduct. This management system will
also allow us to conduct department wide random polygraph examinations not only when
reasonable suspicion exists but also as part of an on-going annual internal integrity check
program.
5. What would you do to improve the public’s confidence in the Sheriff’s
Department?
The department lacks the trust from its hidalgo county residents and the law enforcement
community due to the blatant corruption that was exposed this past year and the lack of
preventive and/or investigative measures in place that failed to identify and recognize the
problem. This department needs a Sheriff that will lead by example and will set forth the
ethical standards necessary to implement a system of trust, integrity and compassion for
our hidalgo county residents. A county wide review board composed of law enforcement
executives and professionals will be established to monitor the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s
Department with the authority to sanction and fine the department if problems of
corruption persist.
6. How would you prevent and deal with corruption within the Sheriff’s
Department?
I will establish a zero tolerance department wide integrity check program that will
monitor the employee’s attendance, performance and conduct at all levels including
management. This integrity check program will also focus on pre-employment measures
to identify potential applicants that will be susceptible to corruption. An annual financial
investigative background will be conducted on all employees to identify that employee’s
involved in criminal activity. Annual and random polygraph examinations will be
conducted for those employees assigned to special units and/or those applying for these
positions. Annual and random drug testing will mandatory for all employees handling
evidence, money and assets.
7. How would you improve department staff morale?
I will reinstitute county civil service and recommend collective bargaining agreements
with all employee’s to insure that they receive better benefits, salaries, promotions,
assignments and working conditions to avoid the temptation of falling into corruption.
8. Would you change staff hiring and promotion procedures? If so, what changes
would you make? Yes
I will conduct an assessment of current hiring and promotion practices in order to hire
and promote the best qualified applicants. I will implement a more thorough background
investigation program that will focus on the applicant’s financial status. I will establish
policy through civil service that promotions be conducted through civil service tests,
supervisory review boards and the employee’s training and education records.
9. What steps need to be taken in the next four years to reduce crime in Hidalgo
County? If this requires additional funding, how should it be funded?
Step #1
Identify the most prevalent crimes in this county for the past 10 years, the frequency of
the crime, identify the operations of the perpetrators and identify the locations where
these crimes are occurring.
Step #2
Implement permanent crime control programs in the colonias in Hidalgo County that will
reduce the frequency of this crimes and take away the opportunity from perpetrators to
commit this crimes.
Step #3
Establish a county-wide initiative with all local, state and federal agencies in information
sharing and displacing the criminal element from operating in different jurisdictions.
Step #4
Establish an aggressive county-wide prosecution initiative against repeat offenders, gang
members, child molesters, sexual predators, drug offenders and other type of offenders
that deter the quality of life, and endanger the safety of our residents.
Step #5
Apply for a federal grant through a multi-disciplinary initiative to reduce the frequency of
aggravated robberies (home invasions) in this county and establish a border prosecution
unit strictly focused on reducing the home invasions, kidnappings and extortions that are
occurring at a high rate in this county. The state of Arizona was dealt with the same type
of violence that we are seeing in this county and they were able to reduce the violence
through a federal grant awarded to local law enforcement.
10. How would you address the jail overcrowding problem in Hidalgo County?
The issue of jail overcrowding is not an uncommon problem in law enforcement and
across the nation this occurs very frequent with local, state, federal and private
institutions. This problem is not only the counties responsibility since they are just the jail
administrators but all law enforcement agencies.
We need to reduce the number of prisoners that get incarcerated by processing the
prisoners at local police departments and handle non-violent misdemeanor offenses at the
local level. We need to refrain from sending our mental health patients to jail because
they do not belong there. We need to establish rehabilitation programs at the local level to
reduce recidivism and work with our probation office departments and our cities to allow
non-violent offenders become caring, compassionate and responsible citizens in our
communities.
11. Please describe any past or present dealings you have had with Hidalgo County
departments, including the Sheriff’s Department. Include a list of any personal or
business contracts you have currently with Hidalgo County and how they would be
addressed if you become sheriff.
As a law enforcement officer and police chief for the City of San Juan Police Department
I have regular contacts with law enforcement personnel at the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s
Department on joint investigations and or operations.
I have no personal business contracts with Hidalgo County.
12. What does conflict of interest mean to you? How can you guarantee that you will
not have any conflicts of interest as Sheriff?
I strongly believe in transparency personally and professionally. I currently have a sister
that is employed at the sheriff’s department as a senior deputy. I am well aware of the
Texas Nepotism Laws and I will adhere to them as it pertains to my elected position.
13. Are you willing to make an annual public declaration of your personal financial
assets as long as you are sheriff? If not, why not?
Yes, I have no problem disclosing my financial records to anyone. I believe in
transparency as a resident and as a law enforcement officer.
14. How have you been involved with or supported the Hidalgo County Democratic
Party?
Yes, I currently became a sustaining member with the Democratic Party and have been a
lifelong democrat.
15. If elected, do you pledge to be actively involved with the Democratic Party?
Yes, I plan to raise funds for the Democratic Party and encourage young democrats to
take the initiative to become members of this party and run for elected positions.
16. In the last five (5) years, have you been a member of any political party other
than the Democratic Party? Have you provided material or financial support to any
political candidate who was not a Democrat? If so, please explain.
No, I have not.
17. Have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or lost a civil suit case
against you? Do you have any pending felony, misdemeanor, or civil suit cases filed
against you? If so, explain.
No, I have not been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor offenses and I have never
lost a civil suit against me in my 25 years of law enforcement experience.
I have a current lawsuit against me that is pending in federal court. This lawsuit was filed
against the San Juan Police Department for an arrest against the plaintiff. I was named as
a defendant in the lawsuit as the police chief.
18. Did you serve in the military? If so, were you honorably discharged? If you did
receive less than an honorable discharge, please explain.
No, I never served in the military.
19. Are you now, or have you ever, been in any way connected with the Gulf, Zeta,
Sinaloa, or any other cartel or other foreign organized crime group, or with anyone
who has been associated with such an organization? If so, please explain.
No, I have never been connected and or implicated in any criminal organization in my 25
years of law enforcement experience.
20. Have you ever been turned down by a bonding company?
No, I have not.
21. Has there ever been a warrant for your arrest issued?
No warrants have been ever issued for my arrest.
22. Have you ever been named as a party to a temporary restraining order (TRO),
injunction, or protective order (PO)? If so, please attach a copy
No, I have never been the subject of any type of restraining order or protective order
against me.
23. Have you ever been refused a security clearance? If so, explain.
No, I have never been refused security clearance.
24. What is your academic qualification and level of education?
•
•
•
High School Diploma (McAllen High School)
Associates Degree in Criminal Justice (Texas South most College)
Graduate of the FBI National Academy Management School
•
Graduate of the UTPA Certified Public Manager Program
25. Are you certified by the Texas Commission on Law enforcement or any other
Law enforcement organization?
Yes, I have a Master Peace Officer License from the Texas Commission on Law
Enforcement and currently employed as the Chief of Police for the City of San Juan,
Texas.