El Paso Matters – Meet the El Paso County sheriff candidates in Democratic Primary

Raul Mendiola: I do not support SB 4, I would not enforce SB 4 as it violates the rights of citizens. SB 4 states anyone entering the United States illegally has committed a crime, a crime that pertains to federal officers like immigration and border patrol and not a responsibility of Texas law enforcement officers. If elected, my officers have more important matters than to worry about illegal entry or be tied up with deportation of what may be a U.S. Citizen. Handle migrant(s) when a real crime is committed.

Robert “Bobby” Flores: The CCP is specific on the duties of peace officers in the State of Texas.  Peace officers are required to enforce all state Laws.   While peace officers will be allowed to arrest and deport migrants, the resources for enforcing these laws are not available.  Enforcing this statute will not be our priority as we don’t have the manpower or jail space to do so.  My priority will be based on maintaining community safety and protecting all victims of crime, regardless of immigration status.

Ryan Urrutia: The deputies of the office simply do not have the expertise or training to enforce immigration issues. This new law could strain our resources causing delayed response times due to local law enforcement responding to immigration calls. I believe local law enforcement enforcing immigration laws leads to distrust in our border community. I would not seek funding or participate in task forces that would specifically target the new SB 4 law.

Oscar Ugarte: Immigration is a federal responsibility, and the state legislative process should not require local law enforcement agencies to engage in deportations. The concept of SB4 was questionable from the get-go, and I am happy to see that the recently signed law is being challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice. I am confident that it will be deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Arresting and deporting migrants will not be a priority under my leadership.

Michael P. Gonzales: We do not have the resources, training, legal justification, or a standard process to enforce Senate Bill 4.  We do have an obligation to meet with the Community as a whole and discuss Immigration issues in order to effectively find humanitarian solutions.  

Raul Mendiola: Crisis intervention is of great importance and continued training would always improve the operations of the crisis intervention unit. I also believe that every officer should also attend crisis intervention training as they would be the first to respond when an individual is having a crisis and would be able to maintain control of the incident until a crisis intervention unit arrives.

Robert “Bobby” Flores: The Crisis Intervention Team has done a great job in mitigating incidents involving individuals suffering a mental health crisis.  All officers in the Sheriff’s Office are trained in De-Escalation Strategies and are certified Mental Health Peace Officers and jailers. I think we are on point with where we need to be, but we would evaluate their call volume and make adjustments if needed. We partner with EHN for this program, so any increase would need their commitment as well. 

Ryan Urrutia: The crisis intervention teams have been successfully responding to mental health crisis calls and this response assures patrol units are available for calls for service in our community. The successful diversion of over 800 citizens from jail and hospitals highlights the team’s success as well as the reductions in use of force situations by our deputies. The diversion from jail and hospitals by the Crisis Intervention Teams saves taxpayers money and makes sure hospitals have availability.

Oscar Ugarte: It’s important to recognize that CIT was initiated nearly three years ago and has not been met with the ambition needed to properly respond to incidents. As Sheriff, recognizing and addressing mental health will be a top priority, requiring all incoming deputies to receive CIT Training by extending the existing training to ensure that deputies are properly trained and equipped with resources to prioritize de-escalation and connect residents with clinicians from our mental health authority.

Michael P. Gonzales: I have not worked with the Crisis Intervention Team at the Sheriff’s Office but I do have first hand knowledge of the program responding to numerous mental health calls within the El Paso Independent School District.  The program has been effective, working closely with Emergence Health Network’s Crisis Intervention Team. I would have to evaluate the program in whole and spend time with everyone involved before recommending any additional needs.

Raul Mendiola: Increase visibility of patrol officers, have an anonymous phone line where calls can be made to inform officers of a youth party by giving date, time and location; also make public ads or messages informing parents to supervise their party and even consider hiring security and the consequences of furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors.

Robert “Bobby” Flores: Red Sands is in an unincorporated area of the county where shooting firearms is legal. We need to educate the public on the dangers of shooting in areas where people often gather and allocate the appropriate resources (additional patrols) during high volume attendance. Officers patrolling the area before large events are more effective than trying to take control once the area is full. The key is to be proactive and visible in the area. 

Ryan Urrutia: Addressing youth gun violence requires a comprehensive approach involving community engagement, mental health resources, youth resources and effective gun control programs such as the recent El Paso County Gun Buy Back Program. These collaborative efforts have a lasting meaningful impact on reduction of crime resulting in a safer community. I too, am a parent of a teen and the continued partnership with Moms Demand Action is instrumental in the promotion of gun safety and gun ownership.

Oscar Ugarte: I intend to increase the department’s presence in unincorporated areas that are not serviced by municipal law enforcement agencies. Desert areas like Red Sands pose a challenge due to the lack of roadway infrastructure for emergency vehicles. However, it does not take away from the responsibility to respond to criminal activity. Mobile Command Posts are strategies worth investing in to increase law enforcement visibility in large group gatherings, where it is currently inexistent. 

Michael P. Gonzales: I would have to address the importance of high visibility patrol in neighborhoods, and in areas that have been evaluated such as the Red Sands area.  I would have to evaluate staffing, and implement Operational Plans in these areas with outside agency involvement. I was the Search and Rescue Team Leader for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office where we had the equipment to patrol the Red Sands area.  We would also have to work closely with our volunteer unit’s and get all resources involved.

Raul Mendiola: Growing population of the East Side would call for more revenue and hiring more officers to meet the growing demand of any part of El Paso County which at the moment is the Far East Side. Hoping to have Experienced Reserve Deputies to support the regular patrol units at minimal cost to El Paso County.

Robert “Bobby” Flores: I actually live in this area and rely on the Sheriff’s Office for police services. As a division commander with the Sheriff’s Office we are supposed to forecast necessary manpower to meet the growing community’s needs. This administration has failed to do that. These areas have grown immensely and need their own Regional Command Center to provide effective services to the community.  I would budget for a manpower increase and shrink district sizes for better coverage. 

Ryan Urrutia: The office is now on a 12-hour shift that maximizes the personnel we have both in our jail facilities and on patrol. The addition of Crisis Intervention Teams and School Resource Officers keeps patrol units available in the community since there is a deputy handling mental health calls and on campus to respond to citizen issues. I have also been in discussions with county leadership on the location for an Eastlake regional command. I have been able to add 24 deputies as your patrol commander.

Oscar Ugarte: The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is designed to service unincorporated communities that are not within the jurisdiction of a municipality. The Sheriff’s Office is the highest-funded department in El Paso County government and I have no doubt that it will be adequately funded to meet future needs. Under my direction, I intend to exert federal funding opportunities from the U.S. Department of Justice to increase personnel and avoid tapping into local taxpayer dollars.

Michael P. Gonzales: I would have to evaluate district boundaries and calls for service in the new areas.  Law enforcement is ever evolving and we need to continue to evolve as an agency.  Community service and safety is the most important aspect of public safety.  I have seen El Paso grow from when I started as a deputy in 1998 and we continue to make sure that we are able to effectively handle the communities we serve through hard working deputies who understand the overall mission to keep our communities safe. 

Raul Mendiola: Currently there are 9 school districts, 240 campuses, high school to elementary, in El Paso County. Four of those school districts have their own school police force. Five school districts don’t have a school police force. Restructure the current Sheriff’s School Resource Officer Program.  Depending on state funding, asking those school districts to share the cost. Stationing deputies is a positive protection for all school campuses making safety for students and staff at all campuses is a must.

Robert “Bobby” Flores: Unfortunately, we are in a society where our children and schools are vulnerable to brutal attacks.  We need to allocate resources to protect our schools and keep our children safe. Schools without police departments are contracting with the Sheriff’s Office to provide SRO’s, and are paying for them through school taxes. I support having officers in schools not only for safety but to be ambassadors for our agency to our youth and teachers. They can provide both training and campus safety.

Ryan Urrutia: I have doubled school resource officers in our community and this is a result of positive interactions between law enforcement, students and the community. The benefit is mentoring, intervention and education of students, staff and parents within the schools. The addition of armed law enforcement on campus is a step in the right direction but there should also be the mentorship and education program that compliments the law enforcement presence to continue building trust in our communities. 

Oscar Ugarte: Positives include immediate response to threats, deterrence, enhancing relationships with students, and crisis management. Negatives include intimidation, the potential use of excessive force, and expenditures for districts. State law requires districts to have one armed officer at each campus, and districts in El Paso are complying. I am committed to ensuring that every officer has training in mental health and can prioritize de-escalating high-risk situations among students and campus staff.

Michael P. Gonzales: I have worked for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and now the El Paso Independent School District which has given me the necessary knowledge and experience to be able to effectively know the needs of public schools. The positive is that you have a deputy able to effectively handle all critical incidents within the schools if they are utilized properly.  A deputy with a unit is a deterrent which is a positive. I have not seen any negative impact other than having enough resources.