Candidate for
District Attorney; County of San Luis Obispo

The criminal justice system has a moral obligation to be a voice of strength for those without a voice. As your District Attorney, I will seek to bring justice for victims who are least capable of protecting themselves.

I am running for DA because we face difficult challenges to our public safety. San Luis Obispo County needs a DA who understands these challenges and has a track record of successfully prosecuting criminals. The three most pressing issues threatening the public safety of our community are:

• Issue #1: Growing Influence of Gangs

Gangs from Monterey and Santa Barbara counties are encroaching on our county. We must not allow gangs to gain a foothold here in SLO. In 2011 the Monterey County gang population rose to over 5,500 gang members. That's why the status quo is no longer sufficient to deal with the growing threat that we face today. Our gang task force has not been adequately bolstered to deal with the rise in gang-related crime of the last decade.

Gang activity in our communities is on the rise, and it must be stopped. We cannot wait until San Luis Obispo County's gang problem reaches Monterey's level. We must act now.

That's why as your DA I will make it a top priority to stop the influence of gangs in our communities. I will work with the Sheriff and local law enforcement Chiefs of Police to boost the number of law enforcement officers fighting gang-related crime. We will prosecute gang members to the fullest extent of the law. We will put an end to this growing problem. Make no mistake: gangs are not welcome in San Luis Obispo County.

• Issue #2: Hard Drugs in Schools

Drug traffickers need to know that our community's residents and law enforcement will not stand for drugs on our streets, in our schools, or being pushed on our youth.

When I am your District Attorney, there will be no special deals for drug dealers who push drugs on our kids. I will send Deputy DA's to our schools to speak to students and educate our teens on the perils of drugs and crime. I will crack down on those who bring drugs into our schools, and bring to justice those who seek to destroy our children's' futures. San Luis Obispo will not become a center for the proliferation of drugs, and as District Attorney I will work hard to ensure that does not happen.

• Issue #3: Jail Overcrowding and Prison `Realignment'

With our jail filling up with felons that used to be in state prison, we can no longer do business as usual. As your District Attorney, I will work closely with Sheriff Parkinson and the Community Corrections Partnership to balance the state's realignment program and our local issues. Together, we can do better. I will implement cost-saving reforms and bring the county stakeholders together to find better solutions to jail overcrowding that are good for the taxpayer and do not compromise the safety of our community.

We can meet these challenges together. I am running for District Attorney because I want to keep San Luis Obispo one of the best places to live in California. I want to strengthen the partnership between the DA's office, law enforcement, and our community by assigning Deputy District Attorney's to assist the School Resource Officers in our junior and senior high schools. I will fight to eradicate drugs and gangs from our schools and offer these students exposure to a professional career path as attorneys, investigators, and professionals.

San Luis Obispo needs a District Attorney who will prosecute crime to the fullest extent of the law, bring criminals to justice, and ensure the safety and security of you and your loved ones. As your District Attorney, I will ensure that our beautiful County remains one of the greatest places in America to live, work, and raise a family.