League of Women Voters election survey: Lupe Valdez, candidate for Sheriff, Dallas County

by Staff of League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters of Dallas sent a questionnaire to every candidate running for public office in Dallas County. The election on November 4th features a number of local races to decide state and national Senate and House of Representatives seats, in addition to other races.

The responses of Sheriff Lupe Valdez (D), who is running for re-election for Dallas County Sheriff, appear below. Valdez is running against Lowell Cannaday (R).

LWV: Please describe the training and experience that qualify you for this office.

Valdez: Prior to being elected Dallas County Sheriff in 2004, I was a senior agent with the Department of Homeland Security, where I worked on matters involving customs and drugs. I am a former Army officer and have a masters degree in criminology.

LWV: What are your plans to improve the delivery of health care services, including mental health services, at the Dallas County Jail?

Valdez: Before my term, health care in the jail was being provided by a vendor who wasn’t up to the challenge. Since Parkland Hospital took over, we have seen a dramatic improvement in care. We are planning a new medical clinic in the jail itself, which will save costs and improve the quality of care. I will continue to work with other agencies to win state funding for more mental health beds in a proper hospital.

LWV: What are your plans to resolve the issues of overcrowding and insufficient staffing at the Dallas County Jail?

Valdez: The Dallas County Jail is neither overcrowded nor understaffed. As Sheriff, I have won funding from the Commissioners for a sufficient number of guards to bring our staffing in line with legal requirements. I have also formed a jail population management team that has enforced accountability among other county agencies to maximize our system’s efficiency, resolving the longstanding problem of jail overcrowding.

LWV: What policies would you support to allow sufficient access to social services at the Dallas County Jail?

Valdez: I always welcome more input and involvement from social service organizations. A large portion of the jail’s population are individuals with mental disorders, as there are insufficient beds at local mental health facilities. Out of necessity, we have formed relationships with social service programs to ensure that these inmates receive the care they need. The same is true for drug rehabilitation programs. I would be very open to other such relationships.

LWV: Dallas County Commissioners have vowed not to raise taxes and have asked each county department to voluntarily cut 5% from their department budgets to balance a $34 million budget deficit for 2008. Are there areas in the Sheriff’s Department budget from which a 5% cut can be made? If so, what are they?

Valdez: I rose to the challenge of cutting over $6 million from my department’s budget without serious compromise to programs that ensure public safety. We met this budgetary necessity by trimming “perks” provided to inmates, such as ketchup packets, combining positions to reduce our required headcount and establishing new revenue generators like a processing fee for inmate bookings. These cuts provide taxpayers with relief without impacting our essential patrol or DWI enforcement programs.