Biography

Name: Alejandro "Al" Patiño

Age: 50

Occupation: Director of Special Projects/Emerald Correctional Management

Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal/U.S. Marshals Service (RET)

Chief Warrant Officer/U.S. Navy (RET)

Website: alpatinoforsheriff.com

Residence: West Side

 

Relevant Experience:

Twenty-eight years of Criminal Justice experience which consists of not only the law enforcement experience, but also correctional and court-related experience. The United States Marshals Service is considered the "federal sheriff". I also have a total of 27 years of both active/reserve duty with the U.S. Navy. Of the 27 years, 22 were spent in the law enforcement/physical security arena. Bachelor's in Criminal Justice, a Master's in Criminal Justice, a second Master's in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Administration and one class short of a third Master's in Management and Leadership. 

  

1. What role would you direct the Sheriff's Department to take with immigration enforcement?

 

I will implement procedures that will not allow Deputy Sheriffs to solely stop individuals and ask for immigration status. However, those procedures will allow Deputies to defer undocumented persons that they confront during an investigation or a traffic stop to the appropriate agency for disposition.

 

2. What is your position on consolidation of police and sheriff? If you support it, what specific steps will you commit to?

 

I am not in favor of a total consolidation simply because there are constitutional and legislative hurdles that would need to be addressed prior to a complete consolidation. However, there are a few areas, such as the communication and the training academy that, after a feasibility study, could be merged.

 

3. What is your position on privatizing prisons in general, and El Paso's in specific?

 

All one needs to do is look at our neighbors in Otero County, NM and Hudspeth County to know that the concept of privatizing prisons can be a successful venture for many state and local governments. The subject is moot here in El Paso especially since the county commissioners passed a resolution that would not allow the jobs of the detention officers to be privatized.

 

4. What is your position on the new state law that allows officers the discretion to write a ticket for possession of marijuana under 4 ounces? Should such discretion be exercised in El Paso?

 

 

There is no question that Deputies will be given the discretion to issue a citation rather than make an arrest. The decision will be determined by the suspect and his actions. There are far too many non-violent drug offenders that are in jail that instead, should be in a rehabilitation program.

 

5. Do you support citizen review committees? If so, what powers or authority do you support?

 

During my tenure with the Honolulu Police Department (early 80's), the Department had a citizen's review board that has now evolved into a Police Commission. There is no question that the department could significantly benefit from the involvement of its citizens and would show transparency in the department's dealings with the citizens it serves. The committee would be given the power to receive, consider and investigate charges brought by the public against the conduct of the department or any of its members.

 

6. How would you balance using confiscated funds to bolster the budget and the potential to abuse confiscation to bolster the budget? What controls are or should be in place?

 

I would not advocate relying on confiscated funds for the funding of routine budget items such as vehicles. As a matter of fact, the federal government's seizure program does not allow any participating agency to use federal money to supplant its agency budget because of the potential for abuse. I would implement restrictions similar to those that the federal government has used since it started its program back in the 80s.

 

7. What is the current relationship between the union and the command? What should the relationship be?

 

It is my understanding that the union and the present department's command staff are not communicating. This was very evident during the last collective bargaining process where instead of discussions between the union leaders and the command staff, collective bargaining was reached during open sessions of the county commissioner's court. The department needs to take a leadership role and work directly at responding to union concerns and solving them before going to commissioner's court.

 

8. What do you believe is the biggest issue facing the department?

 

On the law enforcement side, the department needs to re-build the relationships with the community it serves; on the corrections side the department needs to better manage its facilities especially regarding the housing of federal inmates; on the court side, the department needs to take the lead and provide a better security environment for the courthouse.