Living in a safe neighborhood, for some, is an afterthought – it is expected and a common occurrence. However, for too many of our communities, violent crime rates are at their highest levels in years. We do not have to settle for a society that makes walking home from school, pumping gas after work, loading groceries into your car, or mowing your lawn an uncomfortable task out of fear of being robbed or shot. It is unacceptable.

 

Domestic violence crimes, particularly in our communities, are still occurring at an alarming rate – because one case is one too many. Every level of government must work to ensure that domestic violence crimes are treated and tried appropriately in our judicial system to protect victims and their families. 

 

When public safety is often discussed, Fire/EMS services are rarely discussed with the same need for resourceful responsiveness as are our law enforcement agencies. As a proud supporter of our communities bravest, I want to make sure our local fire/EMS departments, whether they are career or volunteer staffed, have the staffing levels that support a safe working condition.

 

Commitment: As our state and local law enforcement agencies begin to fully implement body-worn camera technology, I will work to ensure the necessary funding needed for programmatic success is available, with a priority on our small municipalities. Additionally, I support non-lethal, technological advancements for law enforcement agencies to prevent, react to, and solve crimes in our communities - so long as these technologies abide by privacy laws and regulatory standards. I will commit to working with our public safety leaders and unions to ensure our government is appropriately staffing our public safety departments. Finally, I will sponsor legislation that: 1. expands governmental supports for victims of domestic violence and property theft; 2. funds the state’s school safety grant program; and, 3. holds those convicted of violent crimes accountable for their actions.