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.