GOALS as Sheriff of Lake County, Indiana
Interview with Chris Roberts-Gonzalez
SO WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO FIRST IN OFFICE? - First off I would like to create a Boot Camp vs. Military Academy for first time offenders! As an investigator with the Child Protected Services and founder of Community Connection of Northwest Indiana serving as Executive Director, I learned a lot about the mind sets of our troubled youth. The trouble doesn't just start from no where, it starts from a problem that with corrective interaction has proven to be effective in many cases. This formula has been utilized for many years in the military. In response to rising rates of serious crime, many correctional systems established successful boot camps as an alternative sanction that might reduce recidivism, prison populations, and operating costs. Despite a decade of popularity with policymakers and the public, boot camps have had difficulty meeting these objectives. I would very much so love to put this boot camp program for our first time offenders.
BELT TIGHTENING - I will immediately check the Fiscal department to see where the Budget is and where we are allegedly spending to much money that we could use more effectively!
CELL PHONE CUTS - I understand that their are too many cell phones that cost $100.00 per month that are not being used - some are alleged to be just sitting around and the Sheriff Dept is paying for them even though they have not been assigned to anyone??? (This could save the department alot of money with unnecessary phone contracts)
REARRANGING - I also understand that there are too many Sergeants. not enough Patrolmen (that is an expense and needs to be looked at to be assigned accordingly).
PRIORITY? - For sure the Jail is of utmost priority! As with many building in Crown Point they have not changed too much through out the years. I would like to change a few things at the jail. There is a major need for upgrades to the correctional buildings, I would like to have these jails re-evaluated to assess any major problems that can be fixed.
TREATING INMATES WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES? - The number of inmates suffering from mental disorders in correctional institutions has burgeoned considerably in recent years. Consequently it is the single most important issue in corrections today. The task of correctional institutions is twofold, firstly they serve to reprimand and punish offenders who have run afoul of the law and secondly the focus is on reform and reintegration into respectable society. Daunting and challenging as the task is, it has been complicated immeasurably on account of the number of inmates battling with mental health issues as their special needs must be attended to in addition to the care and management of the other prisoners.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS ? - The other goals are to create more after hour school programs such as computer training, photography, video production and self defense classes teaching Aikido (a form of self-defense for officers, children/family) We have 2 locations one in Crown Point and another will be in Gary Indiana. I would love to get this project off the ground as well.
ADDITIONAL EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR INMATES? - Along with the Boot Camp I would love to create a program for the Animals that are not able to be adopted from all the Humane Societies in Lake County, Indiana. An effective program that has proven to help 2 problems at once and in turn creates a reward-able outcome for the animals, prisoners and saves the lives of the animals. A new program that is catching the eyes of many institutions is where prison inmates receive training to, in turn, train dogs from animal shelters. The prisoners learn a joy, compassion and a responsibility that can come only from raising and training a dog, as well as skills that can help them find a job. The dog becomes adoptable. Some lucky family gets to adopt a well-trained dog that, just a few weeks before, would have been put to death merely for being unwanted. OR, the dog is trained especially for security jobs (drug sniffing, bomb sniffing at airports, etc.). The shelter reduces the numbers of dogs killed every year in the USA (which totals in the MILLIONS).
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY - I have seen the effectiveness of sustainability and the overall benefits and financial gains acquired from it. I am very interested in making the department more energy efficient such as geothermal, wind, solar and hydro. We also need to upgrade many of the patrol vehicles as efficiency and performance has taken on a whole new era in going green.
