With the June 7 statewide primary election almost a month away, The Daily Democrat will be asking Yolo County candidates five questions, allowing them to articulate what challenges or issues they feel they need to focus on when or if they are elected.
Incumbent Tom Lopez will be running for reelection as Yolo County sheriff against Tommy Hayes, who currently serves as a resident deputy sheriff for the rural Zamora community. Lopez was previously elected in 2018 and has over four decades of experience in law enforcement and public safety service.
Q: If elected, what is your long term vision for Yolo County?
A: Over the last three years, our department has turned around. We are no longer the "wild west." Instead, we've become a fiscally responsible agency accountable for spending tax dollars entrusted to us. I have re-established the respect and trust of the citizenry that we serve. The Yolo County Sheriff's Office is a professional, progressive law enforcement agency that consists of individuals who hold the value that it is an "Honor to Serve" our community.
I intend to continue to build and develop the agency with the future in mind. My vision is that the Sheriff's Office is prepared and set up for success for many years to come. To make this vision a reality, I immediately moved to increase training for my staff. For example, during the first year of my administration, every supervisor of the Sheriff's Office participated in a six-month supervision and leadership course that was held on-site. This training is now required for all employees who are promoted into a supervisory position.
Q: What programs and policies would you focus on as sheriff to reduce crime and increase public safety in the county?
A: I am proud of the strong working relationships I have formed with the Board of Supervisors and department heads throughout the county and the community. My ability to revive the resident deputy program resulted from a collaborative effort with the Board of Supervisors. The resident deputies provide the Sheriff's Office with the greatest opportunity to impact crime reduction and public safety in our communities.
Resident deputies work in the rural areas of the county where they live. They are tasked with becoming part of the fabric of their respective communities and therefore have a unique and real-time understanding of issues that may arise. Additionally, resident deputies can forge relationships and build trust in ways that traditional law enforcement cannot. Resident deputies have also assumed the role of a school resource officer to develop positive relationships with our youth. Crime prevention can start with early intervention.
My philosophy that I pass on to my deputies is that we need to treat everyone we meet as neighbors. One day we may be helping our neighbor build a fence, and the next, we may have to take this person to jail for a crime. But tomorrow, we are still neighbors, and we must treat everyone with dignity and respect.
I will continue to work with the Board of Supervisors to establish a Homeless Outreach Team to partner with the county's Health and Human Services Agency to provide services to the unhoused in our community in an effort to respond to this humanitarian crisis. Law enforcement does not possess all the answers to solve this crisis. We cannot arrest our way out of this type of situation, and partnering with social services experts will strengthen our efforts.
Q: What do you believe is the key issue facing the Sheriff's Office, and how do you plan to address it?
A: The safety and well-being of the members of the Yolo County Sheriff's Office have always been my top priority. These last two years have been an incredibly challenging time for the women and men of the Sheriff's Office. However, their dedication to keeping our communities safe never wavered, and for that, we should all be grateful. I am committed to increasing our staffing levels while maintaining our high standards to create a more sustainable working environment for all employees of the Sheriff's Office.
Q: How do you plan to increase transparency and accountability in order to build trust with the community?
A: Because law enforcement requires the trust of the community it serves, this was a key issue for me when I was elected and that remains true now.
When I took office, I made it a point to refocus the energy of the Yolo County Sheriff's Office to that end. I am currently implementing many projects that will continue to build community trust, such as body-worn cameras. I have been a strong proponent of capturing incidents on video. I developed our car camera system, and we were the first agency to install cameras in our vehicles in Yolo County. Today, the public expects law enforcement to be held accountable, and this is one tool to assist in that.
Last year, we utilized vacant deputy positions to hire and sponsor five recruit trainees to attend the POST academy. I also directed staff to work with human resources to develop a hiring incentive to attract greater numbers of suitable candidates. Now new deputies and correctional officers are eligible to receive a bonus, $10,000 for deputies and $5,000 for correctional officers, for selecting our agency. This is the first hiring incentive program in Yolo County. We have found that other neighboring agencies are providing this incentive, and it is necessary to maintain our competitiveness in the job market.
Additionally, understanding the importance of retention, we continue to invest in our current employees who are faced with increasingly difficult jobs. I have successfully funded the purchase of a digital platform that provides trusted, confidential, 24/7 proactive, and preventative wellness support specially developed for law enforcement and others serving in the most demanding and critical roles. This will be deployed with an employee lead peer support program.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that you would like our readers to know?
A: Over four decades in law enforcement and public safety service, I have served as Sheriff with a sincere responsibility for the position. The people of Yolo County deserve the most prepared and skilled leaders serving them, and my education and experience provide exactly that.
My administration has taken a respectful tone as obstacles and challenges were addressed and overcome, but there is still work to do. In my first year in office, I balanced the budget, something that had not been accomplished for several years, and we have had a balanced budget every year since.
I have developed a good working relationship with the Board of Supervisors, and through this effort, I have been able to increase staffing by over 30 positions. Those positions are keeping you safe.
Over the last three years as your sheriff, I have proven that I can do the job and do it well.
I would appreciate your vote on June 7.
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