For more information on other local races in the California June Primary and voting tips, check out our 2022 Election Guide. John Gunderson, 46, is a nonpartisan candidate for San Diego County Sheriff who does not accept donations, does not solicit endorsements and believes the Sheriff should remain apolitical. You can be anything you want if you set your mind to it and have the work ethic to make it happen. Gore stepped down from the position in February after heading the San Diego County Sheriff's Department for 12 years. The problem persists. I believe there is a whole section of our society who would make excellent peace officers but who never bother to apply because they feel their chosen appearances will automatically preclude them from getting hired. Master's in Public Administration, Bachelor's in Criminal Justice, Police Captain 31 years in law enforcement. . Dave Myers, 60, is a La Mesa resident who started his career with the Sheriffs Department as an Explorer in 1986 and retired as a commander in 2018. Q: What specific role should deputies have in responding to emergency calls for people involving mental health issues and homelessness? I would work with community groups and the training unit to better equip deputies with the cultural knowledge needed to be able to understand the perspectives of the civilians they are dealing with in order to communicate effectively to arrive at peaceful resolutions to incidents. font-size: 12px; .votebox-scroll-container { .votebox { Victims and suspects each deserve a highly trained law enforcement response from people who respect everyone we serve, she said. max-width: 600px; background-color: #6db24f; I would start by meeting with the jail staff employee groups to find out what resources they are lacking to be able to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. } Q: What are the three largest issues that contribute to the high number of San Diego County jail deaths and what would you do to address them? .votebox-results-cell--check { A native Californian, she joined the North County Times in 2002, and the U-T in 2012. New leadership could mean a sea change for a department that has been grappling with staffing problems, high death rates in the jails and an uptick in crime, as well as its own data indicating racial bias in stops and searches. background-color: #db0000; John Gundo Gunderson, chief criminal prosecutor John Hemmerling, Undersheriff Kelly Anne Martinez, retired sheriffs Commander Dave Myers and peace officer Jonathan Peck. width: 35px !important; You see deputies leaving in greater numbers than coming in. .outer_percentage { The percentage of positive cases in tests reported to the county was 5.2%, up more than 1.5% from this time last month. Instead, they will pick the regions new top cop from a list of seven. Hemmerling said he believes in community policing as an effective approach, and pointed to his time as a police patrol officer in Mid-City, where he said he worked to gain trust by getting to know people in the community. .electionsectionheading { What type of such equipment would you support using and why? $('.pastResponses').show(); Counties | letter-spacing: .03em; display: inline-block; Myers lambasted filthy and unsafe jail conditions, and said the agency needs systemic changes in policy, staffing and infrastructure. .race_header.democratic { function indicateScroll (){ .race_header.republican { .infobox { I also feel strongly that a sheriff should be apolitical and represent all persons in our community. The status quo, he said, is not good enough.. He has spent over 25 years in law enforcement and private security, delivering 21st-century law enforcement and security to the citizens in Erie County. .race_header.libertarian { It also provides security in the courts and runs the countys seven jails. Martinez, Myers and Hemmerling all embraced the report and said they would make reforms, including creating a far more robust booking process to include medical and mental health evaluations. Gore held the job for more than 12 years, handpicked in 2009 by retiring then-Sheriff Bill Kolender. Q: County supervisors recently approved allowing the Sheriffs Department to continue using military grade equipment such as armored vehicles. background-color: white; Come meet your Sheriff, John Garcia, at upcoming community and fundraising events. Q a QqqAqpw2 e2w2qt2q32. Ray, a 30-year veteran of the department, was sworn in as interim sheriff in April. border: 1px solid #999; background-color: grey; Myers had more than $72,000, including a $10,000 loan from himself. I am a tenured law enforcement administrator who has worked his way up through the ranks with experience developing and implementing community programs in multiple law enforcement agencies. Of the seven candidates running, Im one of a few currently in law enforcement, the only one with a masters degree although that in itself doesnt mean you should be a good leader, but I also have multiple law enforcement agencies experience as well as the prosecutors office, Gunderson, who holds both a bachelors and masters degree in criminal justice said. John Gunderson has worked in a wide range of law enforcement roles, from dispatcher, to sheriff's deputy and district attorney investigator, his candidate website says. padding-left: 8px; border:1px solid #FFB81F; } How to vote | overflow-x: scroll; $('.showResponses').hide(); Over time it grew into a busy side business where I was hired by Douglas County Open Space, businesses and private property owners to construct fences. Martinez said racial bias and use-of-force concerns are a systemic problem nationally. The San Diego County Sheriffs Department is the law enforcement agency for nine contract cities in the region: Del Mar, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach and Vista. 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Gore stepped down from the position in February after heading the San Diego. Alpine CA, 91901 | Phone: 619.445.3288 | Fax: 619.445.6776. Lets take the zero bail, for example. Myers said he will order a comprehensive review to get at the systemic problems that are at the root of the jail deaths.. He would also focus on building relationships with young adults in schools. margin-bottom: 0px; Juan Carlos Charlie Mercado did not reply to repeated requests. Hired in 1978 as the 4th officer in the Castle Rock Police Department, John worked to protect our communities for over 40 years. function defer() { Opinion: I have slept on sidewalks so I know what might help end homelessness. What was his biggest accomplishment? Peoples perception of law enforcement is based on the society or country where they grew up. Hemmerling has the backing of the county and state Republican party, former Mayor Kevin Faulconer, former City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and retired San Diego police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, who he worked with as chief legal counsel for the department. .inner_percentage.CrossFiled { Martinez encouraged people to report unfair policing, and said she will investigate any claims made. john gunderson for sheriffchina media group website. John Gunderson (also known as Gundo) ran for election for San Diego County Sheriff in California. School districts | 2022 Garcia For Sheriff. } } Myers said he would listen to community members, and see that the deputies get ongoing cultural competency training. I also believe in a well-rounded, community-based approach to enforcement that includes education, diversion, rehabilitation, etc., but at the end of the day, there has to be accountability for the indifferent actions of criminals because without accountability, laws are meaningless. font-size: .9em; .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { She embraces his support and bristles at a suggestion of status quo. To me, thats a complete failure of leadership.. } .widget-row { Lived In Queensbury NY. } Opinion: We found love later in life. john gunderson for sheriff. We can tell people this is an area where you can safely sleep at night with services available but you can no longer pitch a tent on the sidewalk, compile trash and bicycles that generally make the area uninhabitable for everyday people. Consider getting involved in your local community by volunteering for a local political campaign. .results_row td:first-child { background-color: #dac113; Resides in Lake George, NY. Battle said the Sheriffs Department doesnt need reform, and that it historically it has been transparent and accountable. His assignments include working in jails and on patrol. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. .expand-all:hover, .collapse-all:hover {cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;} border-bottom: 1px solid grey; overflow-x: auto; background-color: #003388; } I take pride in what Douglas County has become and would be honored to protect it as Sheriff. John "Gundo" Gunderson, a police captain, is among the seven candidates vying to replace retired Sheriff Bill Gore. } He was the chief prosecutor in the San Diego City Attorney's Criminal and Community Justice Divisions until he retired this week. line-height: 1.5em; U.S. Congress | Join us for a St. Patricks Day Celebration! width: 250px; Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board, Meet the candidates for San Diego County Sheriff, Opinion: Gov. Teri Figueroa covers courts, crime and breaking news for The San Diego Union-Tribune. } Dave Myers and recently retired Assistant San Diego City Attorney John Hemmerling. display: table; A: Any abuse of power by a member of a government agency is a significant problem. The amount of damage to community trust one government agent, especially a uniformed law enforcement officer, can do by abusing the power of his or her office cannot be overstated. Top Gun's influence on San Diego Navy fighter pilot's 20-year careerA man who spent most of his 20-year career as a fighter jet pilot in the Navy says the movie Top Gun was influential to the beginning of his military career and now is also influential at the end of it. May 11, 2022 hubspot product import electrical engineer house hubspot product import electrical engineer house Q: Department data has shown that San Diego County deputies are more likely to use force on people of color. 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