Biography

Name: Mary Lou Carrillo

Age: 46

Occupation: Candidate for Sheriff / (Retired) Sergeant Marylou Carrillo

Website: carrillo4sheriff.com

Residence (East Side, West Side, Northeast, Central, Lower Valley, County):

Relevant Experience (for print, will be edited 100 words max):

Sergeant Marylou Carrillo (retired) was born and raised in El Paso with 24 years of law enforcement experience. She has worked in numerous departments throughout the EPPD with a specific emphasis on intelligence, gang and drug related activity. She was assigned to initiate and train the FBI Gang Intelligence Squad working directly with members of the Sheriff’s Office and FBI. She was promoted to Sergeant over patrol and was later selected to oversee the CRCC Tactical Gang and Special Operations Unit. Sergeant Carrillo and her team were responsible for the innovative Civil Gang Injunction lawsuit filed against the Barrio Azteca Prison gang which significantly helped reduce crime in the Segundo Barrio.

Notably, Sergeant Carrillo is the only woman to date to be a member of the El Paso Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and was selected to supervise the EPPD Regional Bomb Squad. She is qualified as a "Gang Expert" and has testified before the Senate on gang legislation. She was one of four appointed to the Governor’s Texas Violent Gang Task Force Advisory Board. She has conducted law enforcement training throughout the country and has collaborated with international, federal, state, and local organizations and agencies to address gangs, narcotics trafficking and youth issues.

She balances her hands-on experience with formal, professional education. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. She has numerous certifications, from TCLEOSE Instructor, Firearms and Defensive Tactics Instructor to Texas Crime Prevention Specialist. The honors and awards that she has received throughout her career are impressive and well-deserved.

Sergeant Carrillo is undoubtedly dedicated to serving the El Paso community, not only professionally as a member of the EPPD, but also by volunteering her free time. Her participation includes various music ministries, facilitating numerous faith-based programs geared toward youth and adults and coaching youth basketball. She also helped initiate the Anti-Graffiti Steering Committee, which pursued the hiring of a full-time Graffiti cleanup crew throughout the city and helped enact state law on Graffiti. Other initiatives her and her team pursued were the No Cruising Ordinance and the Texas Attorney General's Tattoo Removal Program. She provides Gang Awareness presentations to parents, school staff, and local churches. Please visit www.carrillo4sheriff.com

Marylou Carrillo would be honored to continue her commitment to the El Paso community as Sheriff and would appreciate your vote on March 4, 2008!

1. What role would you direct the Sheriff's Department to take with immigration enforcement? Our primary role is to enforce state law and serve and protect this community, which is impossible to do if people fear us. The Sheriff's Department does not have the resources nor will we sacrifice our service to this community to enforce immigration law. Although enforcing immigration law is not our primary function, we will not hesitate to take action against anyone involved in criminal activity and make the referrals as necessary. Most importantly, immigration issues may be the primary duty of the Federal Government, but it is our responsibility to be involved in the solutions and provide input on an issue that so greatly affects this region.

2. What is your position on consolidation of police and sheriff? If you support it, what specific steps will you commit to? Complete consolidation of Police and Sheriff will not be my primary focus, as this decision requires and in depth study on the benefits of merging. This study should include a full compliment of stakeholders and should not be a decision made by one voice. I will however, look at consolidating resources and/or creating task forces that are cost effective and maximize service and the safety of this community, such as communications, purchasing, academy, K-9, Gang Unit, etc…

3. What is your position on privatizing prisons in general, and El Paso's in specific? I am not in favor of privatizing prisons. Private companies are in the prison business to make money and will cut corners at every opportunity. In my experience, privatized prisons do not take the welfare of prisoners as seriously as government run prisons. Certain prison or jail operations, however, have proven more economically efficient, by contracting out their services. An example of this is the current prison healthcare provider that provides excellent service for all detainees at the El Paso County Jail.

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? Excellent idea. First, as law enforcement officers we should use what is legally available to us, despite what our personal opinions are. Secondly, we need to be mindful that prison overpopulation is a serious problem and El Paso is no exception. By citing and releasing a person, the goals of the criminal justice system are met (accountability and responsibility) and at the same time, we have not placed a burden on our jail. We have left a "vacancy" for the more serious, violent offender who presents a danger to the community and should be incarcerated. However, we need to go one step further and add attendance of a mandatory prevention and education course to the penalty, to include parents if the offender is a minor.

5. Do you support citizen review committees? If so, what powers or authority do you support? I support such citizen involvement. All law enforcement agencies should be welcome such citizen involvement when it comes to how they police themselves. I strongly believe that the final authority to discipline deputies must remain with the Sheriff, because ultimately, it is the Sheriff that is accountable and responsible. I believe that citizens should be able to review the disciplinary process. Many years ago citizens could sit on disciplinary review boards, and make recommendations with the Chief's staff of the El Paso Police Department. It should be noted that in all cases, the participating civilians were more lenient than the police were.

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? There are strict federal and state laws and guidelines that govern how confiscated funds should be used to prevent abuse and supplant budgets. I would ensure that these guidelines are met by having these budgets audited every six months, to include monthly reports.

7. What is the current relationship between the union and the command? What should the relationship be? I do not know what the current relationship is between the union and the Command Staff. The relationship between the Union and the Command Staff should be one of mutual respect and open communication, realizing that there may be times where they may have to agree to disagree. So many times, this is taken personally, by both sides, and opportunities for trust and cooperation are destroyed. The Sheriff must set the example and establish trust and credibility with the union and their members. There is more to gain by holding the Union close to you, then keeping them at arms length. Both must understand that it is the community that is truly the number one priority.

8. What do you believe is the biggest issue facing the department? I believe that a strong leader with a dynamic vision who is truly concerned with the needs of the community as well as the employees is needed to take the Department into the future. With the passing of Sheriff Samaniego, and the announcement of interim Sheriff Apodaca's retirement, the core Command Staff will be gone. The remaining staff (small in number) is at retirement age as well. The Department could face some turnover at a very critical time. A leader with law enforcement experience, existing relationships with area agencies at federal and state level, knowledge of specialized prosecutions in key areas such as gangs, juvenile crime, and narcotics, are needed in order to keep the Department focus. Additionally, the Jail Certification must be a priority. This is an important liability issue that the county must not be exposed to. In short, The Department must stabilize, adjusting with new leadership, and then move forward to address the needs of this community with new progress.