Issues
As a long-time Community Police Officer and advocate of Community Policing, Kim understands the importance of ongoing conversations with staff, law enforcement, the public, and members of impacted communities. With Kim as Sheriff, members of each of these groups will have a seat at the table to help create a more open dialogue and restore trust between the Sheriff’s Office and the public they serve.
Kim’s Vision to Advance Community Policing
- Including Community Input on Transition Team members and Command Staff
- Incorporating Mental Health Professionals throughout the process of policing- from assisting in responding to initial calls through the completion of each interaction between police and members of the community
- Ensuring Deputies have access to-and complete- training in de-escalation tactics, risk assessment, crisis intervention, and use of force
- Developing a line of communication between the Sheriff and the public, the deputies under her command, and those in her custody, by establishing a series of roundtable discussions
- Enhancing the Community Relations outreach program of the Sheriff’s Office
The men and women of the Sheriff’s Office deserve a leader who has their backs and who they can hold accountable- and that leadership has been lacking for far too long. After being Deputy Commissioner of a Police Department with over 800 employees, Kim is the only candidate with the command experience necessary to run a department of over 1,100.
Kim’s Vision to Provide Responsible, Accountable Leadership
- Keep open and clear lines of communication between deputies and command staff, including the Sheriff herself
- Conducting reviews of existing policies to ensure law enforcement best practices are being implemented at every level within the department
The Erie County Sheriff’s Office has a budget of over $135 million dollars, and ensuring the appropriate allocation of those resources while maximizing services to the community has to be a top priority. After managing a Departmental Budget of over $100 million while serving as Deputy Police Commissioner, Kim understands the complexities of municipal budgeting and is prepared to ensure Department resources are being used in the most effective way possible.
Kim’s Vision for Responsible Funding
- Ensuring proper staffing levels are being met to reduce the burden on deputies of forced, mandatory overtime
- Creating a robust and active recruitment campaign
- Ensuring deputies have the resources to do their jobs safely and effectively
- Exploring alternatives for underutilized facilities and advising the County Legislature with regards to budgetary needs of the Department
- Fully utilizing mutual aid resources
Kim has been a Police Officer for over half her life- and the reason she keeps doing it is simple: Police Officers have a profound ability to help people when they need it the most. Kim wants to help usher in a new era of Community/Police relations- one based on dignity, trust, and respect.
Kim’s Vision to Restore Public Trust
- Ensuring compliance with mandatory reporting requirements to create consistent accountability throughout the Department
- Creating a consistent- and transparent- policy for incident reporting, including the way information is released to the public
While in our custody, people are also in our care. Incarcerated people are still people, and entitled to be treated with human dignity and respect. Over the last 16 years over 30 people have lost their lives and dozens more have reported incidents of abuse or neglect- it’s unacceptable.
Kim’s Vision to Provide Better Healthcare for those in Custody
- Ensure proper medical evaluation of all persons in custody by trained medical staff
- Ensure access to medical treatment- including access to medications and mental health services
- Consulting with local medical providers to establish mutual aid resources