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Q&A with sheriff candidate Jim Cooper
by Kathleen Haley, published on October 28, 2010 at 6:42 PM
Storyline: November 2010 Election
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The duel between two Sacramento County sheriff’s captains is nearly over.
Local voters will choose one of two candidates in the Nov. 2 election to replace outgoing Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. Sacramento County Sheriff Capt. Jim Cooper is in the final stretch of his runoff campaign against Sheriff Capt. Scott Jones.
Cooper, who is also an Elk Grove City Council member, sat down with The Sacramento Press on Thursday afternoon to discuss his ideas and qualifications for the sheriff’s post.
The Sacramento Press has asked for an interview with Jones, and aims to talk to him before Election Day.
SP: In your view, what are a few of the most pressing public safety problems in the county?
JC: I think number one is patrol services. We laid off 122 deputies in August 2009. We’re getting 50 back. But that still leaves a hole of 72 officers still missing in patrol. That’s critical ... because we want to protect our children.
[The Sheriff’s Department] has been over-budget. I think everybody out in the community (is) making do with less. They aren’t going out as much, not spending as much money. And here we are, we’ve overspent our budget. And that’s not right either.
We need to live within our means as a public agency.
It’s all about protecting our children ... For the last two and a half years, I’ve been the commander of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. We do all the Internet crimes against children investigations. Those are all the child pornography investigations for Northern California. So, if you’re downloading or trading child pornography, we come after you and arrest you.
SP: What is your strategy for how the Sheriff’s Department should work with neighborhoods?
JC: You’ve got to get out there in the neighborhoods and know those neighborhoods. And part of that problem is, we’ve lost our service centers. We had community service centers in every neighborhood in Sacramento. We closed those and shut most of those down. Our citizen volunteers – most of those folks staff those service centers. We’ve got to rely more upon those folks in doing that.
(Before the cuts), citizens could go to the service centers and get their issues addressed, especially with the community-oriented-policing (COP) officers. We lost all of our COP officers, and we don’t have them anymore. That’s vital to have those folks out in the community.
SP: What are a few key differences between you and your opponent, Scott Jones?
JC: I’ve worked patrol; I’ve worked narcotics/gangs. As far as being a captain, I’ve commanded every major division in the Sheriff’s Department. So, I’ve got the experience.
Number 2, I’m a city councilman down in Elk Grove. I’m in my 10th year – my third term. I’ve been mayor twice. We set aside $13 million when we saw the economy getting bad. We’ve had no layoffs (at) our police department – none whatsoever. I’ve got the experience of going back to Washington, D.C., and bringing money back here for local projects in Elk Grove. Approximately $120 million in federal funding I helped bring back.
And I have relationships with our congressional delegation in Washington. He doesn’t have that – he’s never had relationships with those folks.
SP: What would be your top three priorities as sheriff?
JC: To get more officers back on the street.
To re-implement the grant-writing unit. And that was part of our problem – we got rid our grant-writing unit. And over where I am, in high-tech crimes, we’re about 70 or 80 percent grant funded. It’s important to have that grant-writing unit. And last year, we lost out on some federal grants. The Sacramento Police Department got $9 million in federal funding. They had no layoffs.
Third one is more community collaboration. We don’t talk with the community enough and collaborate with them. Sacramento is a big county, and each community has different needs and different problems. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach. So, you’ve got to reach out there and establish community councils to deal with problems in specific areas.
Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.
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You got this guy to give you an interview, and you ask questions that we've heard a hundred times before? We didn't learn ANYTHING about this candidate with this article except that he wants more officers - gee big surprise!
Geez what I would give to ask this guy a few questions; I doubt he would give me straight answers though.
Q1: Why do you think the United States incarcerates its citizens at a higher rate than any other nation on earth - even more so than Russia, Iran, Communist China and North Korea - the "axis of evil" countries?
Q2: Do you believe that the US's incarceration rate is a problem?
Q3: If you could wave a magic wand, what would you do to lower this incarceration rate - (This does not include magically making crime go away - it means from a law enforcement and corrections prospective - remember, the Sherriff runs the jail)
Q4: Will you issue concealed carry permits to law abiding citizens?
Q5: What are your thoughts on the Oath Keeper organization? Would you join, if not, why not? (and saying your not familiar with the organization is not acceptable - do the research - get back to me)
Q6: What do you think is the best way to reduce crime amongst youth?
Q7: How can law enforcement stop the explosive growth of the gang culture in America? LOL - smoke would come out of his ears over that one...
Q8: What does proactive law enforcement mean to you? Is SCSO proactive or reactive - explain -
Q9: What can you do to stop or slow down crime from illegal immigrants and violent gang members that come from South of the border.
Q10: Would you report each illegal alien taken into the jail facility to ICE?
Q11: Would you release an illegal immigrant onto the streets of Sacramento from your jail?
Q12: What is your position on Prop 19? If it passes, are you planning on cooperating with the federal government proscecuting marijuana crimes?
Q13: Did you support the proposed "gang tax?"
Q14: Do you think that the SO's salaries, pensions and benefits are sustianable? Do you believe these issues are related to agency cutbacks, layoffs and manpower shortages?
Q15: If you had the funds, would you support putting dash cams in every agency vehicle (Not just patrol) - and cameras in every part of the jail?
I could write a hundred good questions - not like the typical softball questions you read about in local papers and on the Sac Press - but then again he would most likely give some canned response - like all those that run for office.
Each of these questions would be followed up in detail, so he would have to expand on them, and wouldn't be allowed wiggle out of answering them - like all politicians running for office. Quick canned sound bites don’t answer anything.
Then I'd decide if he was worth voting for.
And dont even give your speil that you are an "independent free thinker" - you're no free thinker if you think my questions were garbage - unlike you, I have experience and education in law enforcement - next time don't make such snide comments on subjects you know little of.
Q11: Would you release an illegal immigrant onto the streets of Sacramento from your jail?
here is the answer: "no". so how does that make or not make mr. cooper a good sheriff?
here's another good one:
Q2: Do you believe that the US's incarceration rate is a problem?
what if he says yes, what is the sheriff going to do about it? his roll would be to enforce the laws. if he thinks the incarceration rate is a problem, do you want him to stop enforcing the law and arresting people?
how do your questions qualify mr. cooper as a good sheriff? you blast a writer for the questions they ask and then you ask pointless questions yourself. that is the problem i had with you intitial response. everything you ever write is negative. why don't you actually give solutions to problems. why don't you answer your own questions?
Such as asking Barbara Boxer what her position is on Roe V. Wade. She has NOTHING to do with Roe V. Wade, nor could she vote to overturn it - yet there are dozens of commercials on air that discuss her position on the subject, which she has NO AUTHORITY over. Yet for many, this is a deciding factor on whether or not to support her.
Q11: I would expect a "good sheriff" not to release illegal immigrants into our neighborhoods; but it is done daily throughout California. This county is all but a sanctuary county.
Q2: I want to vote for a sheriff who believe in alternatives to incarceration - there is a time and place to lock up criminals, there is also a time and place to use diversion AND prevention programs.
If you think my questions were "right wing” then you have no understanding of what the "right wing" is about - if anything they are classical liberal slanted questions.
The problem with our city, county, state and federal government is that 95% of candidates never have to answer the tough questions to get elected.
Lastly, while certainly not a determining factor in casting my vote, it will be an incredible milestone in electing the first African American Sheriff of Sacramento county.
Go Jim Cooper!
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character...." well so much for that idea.
I dont know Jones, but your comment that he is divisive, along with your "African American" comment could imply that Jones would treat minority officers differently - expand on that.
As for your comment on experience - hows that been working out for our very experienced long term politicians? Experience is nice, but critical thinking skills, intelligence and innovation are much more important -
To me the big difference between the two candidates is Jim Cooper's 10 years on the Elk Grove City Council, with two terms as Mayor. Both have spent the law enforcement careers in the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, both are Captains. However, Scott Jones has been the right hand of Sheriff John McGinnes. To me a vote for Scott Jones is a vote for the status quo. Even the Sacramento BEE in its endorsement of Scott Jones states that our local Sheriff Department is failed culture. Change is needed, Jim Cooper is the person to do the job.