Name:                          Jose L. Ramirez

Age:                        50

Occupation:                 Police Chief, Sunland Park

Website:                      Joseramirezforsheriff.com

Residence: East Side, El Paso County

 

Relevant Experience:

 

I am a native El Pasoan and a 1976 El Paso High School Graduate. I joined the United States Navy in 1976 and was honorably disharged in 1980.

 

After leaving the United States NAVY I worked in private industry for five years until I joined the El Paso Police Department in 1985 and graduated from the Police Academy in 1986.

During my tenure with the EPPD, I served in various assignments such as: Crimes Against Persons, Internal Affairs, Intelligence/Vice, Crimes Against Children, and the Public Integrity Unit. In several of these assignments I was the Commander in charge of those units. I was recognized by the Chief of Police for my commitment and dedication in developing and implementing the Human Trafficking Task Force.

 

I was also the Commander of the El Paso Police Department shooting review team for five and a half years. This team investigates all officer involved shootings.

 

My last assignment with the El Paso Police Department was as the Commander for the Mission Valley Regional Command where I was responsible 133 officers and 8 civilian personnelcovering a 32 square mile area with a population of 130,000 residents.

 

In 2006 I retired from the El Paso Police Department to become the Chief of Police for the City of Sunland Park New Mexico where I am responsible for a budget of 4.8 million dollars.

 

The City of Sunland Park New Mexico is a City with a population of 19,000 residents covering a 19 sq mile area. The Police Department is composed of 24 Officers, a Code Enforcement Officer and four civilian support personnel. Most recently I have also been assigned the responsibility of overseeing the Department of Motor Vehicles and its’ staff of eight. The combined budgets of the two departments are $ 4.8 million dollars.

My responsibilities include planning, organizing, implementing and managing all activities of the police department. In my capacity of Chief of Police I am required to posses a thorough knowledge of the principles and concepts of all phases of police administration and methods; scientific methods of crime detection and criminal identification, and current laws and ordinances. I am also responsible for serving as liaison with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. My position also requires that I serve on the city’s Planning and Development Review Team.

 

 

 

My academic credentials are as follows:

M.S., Criminal Justice, Sul Ross State University,

M.A., Political Science/Public Administration, Sul Ross State University,

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration, Park College,

Associates of Applied Science Degree in Law Enforcement, El Paso Community College.

FBI National Academy Graduate 207^th Class.

Adjunct faculty member of the El Paso Community College, Criminal Justice Curriculum

Certified Peace Officer in the State of New Mexico

 

As a veteran of Law Enforcement, I know the concerns we have as a community and believe community based policing is crucial

I have a steadfast commitment to honesty, dedication and integrity in the Law Enforcement Profession, and I strongly believe that we as a community will benefit from an honest, well-trained, and educated Sheriff’s Office. And I am prepared to take the professionalism of the El Paso Sheriff’s Office to the next level.”

 

 

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

 

      The Sheriff’s department should NOT enforce immigration laws. Citizens should feel          safe in calling the Sheriff to report crimes or other issues that they feel will assist law           enforcement. Recently I attended a “focus” group hosted by the Police Foundation with       many law enforcement agencies in attendance, and the issue discussed the most was the       immigration enforcement.

     The consensus was that State and Municipal law enforcement should NOT enforce

      immigration laws. This is the federal government’s job.

 

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

 

      Consolidation of the training academy, and the communications center should be a

priority. No other services should be consolidated until a complete cost analysis

study is done to see whether in fact there is a cost savings. The two areas I have

mentioned are considered support area. No consolidation should be done of the

patrol and other areas.

 

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

 

            The privatization of prisons to a certain degree can be beneficial if the right agency,

            and agreements to manage the operation is in place. Support from the community is             also needed in order to build a prison that will be accepted.

            A private prison can create jobs, however, the community must have a voice and be             represented when thinking about building a prison.

            Presently in El Paso there are no private prisons. Both jail facilities are run by the     Sheriff’s department in a very efficient manner and in the past have generated millions of    dollars. With this said my position is that I don’t feel a private prison facility is needed at     the present time

 

4. What is your position with 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?

 

From the perspective of an administrator, this law will help reduce jail overcrowding of    the non violent population; thus reducing cost to the taxpayer. However, from a Police                   officer perspective it will have other consequences anytime an arrest is not made. It may                send the wrong message and we may start to see a lot more marijuana in the street of           El Paso County, which is NOT good especially in the schools.

            Discretion by the individual officer in the field should be exercised because only the            officer is knowledgeable enough of the offender at the time to make such decision.   However, policies and procedures need to be in place to guide and direct the officer in         this discretion.

           

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

 

            Police agencies have argued that citizens do not have a legitimate role in overseeing the        police, and that citizens do not have the capacity to make judgments about the           professional competence of police officers.

            Proponents of citizen oversight, however, state that citizen involvement will provide            more thorough and fair investigations, that more complaints will be sustained, that more      disciplinary action will deter police misconduct, and that professionalization, perception,             and public attitude towards the police will increase.

            At this time I do not support a citizen review committee for the simple reason that El            Paso County Sheriffs Office does not have a corruption problem or any other issue             dealing with brutality complaints, or ethics violations that require the implementation of

            this type of board.

 

            Four models of citizen oversight.

 

Citizen review of police conduct has taken many forms. However, four types are the most

Common

 

           Class I: Citizen Review Board. Citizen complaints are reviewed and investigated, and          recommendations for disciplinary action are made by a board comprised wholly of   citizens. The board may or may not have subpoena power. Under this model, a citizen        review board handles each step on the continuum from original complaint through   review, investigation and recommendations for sanctions. This is the most independent       citizen review model.

Class II: Police Review/Citizen Oversight. Complaints are reviewed and investigated, and recommendations for disciplinary action are made by law enforcement officers, with oversight of each case by a citizen or board of citizens. Under this model, the steps on the complaint continuum are handled by the police. A board of citizen reviewers, or a single individual, reviews those actions/determinations. Since law enforcement conducts the final fact-finding investigation, the Class II model is considered less independent than Class I.

 

Class III: Police Review/Citizen-Police Appeal Board. Complaints are reviewed and investigated by law enforcement officers in the Internal Affairs Unit, which recommends disciplinary action to the chief. Complainants who are not satisfied with outcomes of investigations can appeal for review to a board composed of both citizen and sworn officers. Under this model, the complaint process is handled by the police. In the event a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of his or her case, a board that includes police officers undertakes review of how the case was originally investigated.

 

Class IV: Independent Citizen Auditor. An independent citizen auditor system reviews the law enforcement agency’s internal complaint review process (IA) and makes recommendations as needed. Under this model, the complaint process is fully in the hands of the police. However, an auditor or audit team has access to that process and reviews if for effectiveness and accuracy of findings, making recommendations to improve the process as needed. The auditor reviews completed cases and contacts complainants to assess satisfaction with outcome.

 

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 should be in place?

 

Confiscated funds have very specific uses, especially if they are derived from the     proceeds of drug activity and therefore can only be spent within certain guidelines.

            Control measures can be established through agreements that prohibit the use of       confiscated funds to supplement or supplant the general budgets; thus eliminating    the       abuse by the County or City Government.

            Language in these agreements should be clear and specific and state that confiscated             funds should not be used to replace or supplant the budget and anticipated funds should      not be budget for, “Do not spend it before you get it.”

 

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

 

            My understanding is that the union and the command staff have reached an agreement stating that they will respect all polices and procedures implemented by Sheriff Samaniego and nothing will be changed. I also understand that the        professionalism of the Sheriffs office will continue and progress into the future. The relationship should be one of respect, professionalism and understanding of the roles the two entities have.

 

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

 

      The uncertainty of who will be the next Sheriff and the changes that can affect their professional and personal lives and those of their families.