MAY 2022. Blues Vol 38 No. 5

VIDAL MARTINEZ can

VIDAL MARTINEZ can quickly attack the crime problem and target organized crime including drug and human traffickers. I especially want the sex trafficking of children stopped in Harris County. Together with our incredible law enforcement organizations, I want Harris County to be the place criminals and killers avoid because they know they will be hunted, arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned. 3. THE NATIONAL RATE OF SWORN OFFI- CERS PER 1000 INHABITANTS IS 2.4. IN HAR- RIS COUNTY THAT NUMBER IS MORE LIKE .4 PER 1000 IN UNINCORPORATED HARRIS COUNTY. IF ELECTED, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO CORRECT THE SHORTAGE OF PATROL DEPUTIES ON HARRIS COUNTY STREETS? First, we need to reverse the bail bond reform scheme which allows dangerous criminals back on our streets. This will improve morale of existing peace officers and allow us a better opportunity to recruit good men and women to serve the public. Next, fully fund and support our officers; giving them the resources they need to keep our neighborhoods safe. We will launch an innovative recruitment campaign to hire more officers. Finally, we will give you the raises you need to be competitive. We must pay the heroes of law enforcement who patrol our streets trying to protect people and save lives. 4. THE HARRIS COUNTY JAIL IS SEVERALLY UNDERSTAFFED. INMATES AS WELL AS DEP- UTIES AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED, RAPED, AND SEVERELY INJURED INSIDE THE HARRIS COUNTY JAIL SYSTEM. AT LEAST 1000 NEW OFFICERS ARE NEEDED TO BRING THE JAIL INTO COM- PLIANCE WITH TEXAS JAIL STANDARDS. AS COUNTY JUDGE HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THIS? Addressing this issue is critical. I will fully fund and support our existing deputies and correctional officers and hire the additional officers needed to keep our jails safe. I will go straight to you, the corrections officers, to ask what you need to keep your officers safe. I want to hear from all of you. Of course, we must increase pay to make this an attractive job to excellent candidates and we must provide a safe work environment inside the jails. 5. WHAT OTHER ISSUES WOULD YOU AD- DRESS AS HARRIS COUNTY JUDGE? I have a plan to lower property taxes. Our taxes are out of control. It is unacceptable and many hardworking families are being taxed out of their homes. We must address this. I will audit and cut the bloated, big government budget Lina Hidalgo created. She almost doubled the budget in her short time. We are robbing the taxpayers. She increased government spending while activating policies that caused crime to skyrocket. I will also tackle the traffic problems in Harris County to improve quality of life and public safety. I want to hire the smartest engineers to analyze our top problem areas so we can immediately create a plan to address them. I find it odd that we have great technology but still sit at a red light for two minutes while no traffic is coming from the other direction. We must get smart about traffic. I will need input from all of you law officers when I do this. 54 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 55 54 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 55