Los Angeles, November 1, 2018
– ALADS President Ron Hernandez has issued the following statement regarding the election for Los Angeles County Sheriff.
ALADS continuously strives to represent the interests of our members, and has approached the Los Angeles County Sheriff's election with careful consideration. A recent survey of the ALADS membership found that 81.7 percent of respondents do not have confidence in Sheriff Jim McDonnell; 87.8 percent say Sheriff McDonnell has not been effective in managing the critical staffing shortage within the department; and 85.4 percent do not feel Sheriff McDonnell is the right person to move the department forward.
We are grateful to our membership for their above average participation in this survey, as we always endeavor to gather member input regarding critical issues facing the department.
Before the primary, ALADS invited all three candidates – incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonnell, retired Commander Bob Lindsey, and retired Sheriff Lieutenant Alex Villanueva – to speak with members and answer questions about their candidacies. At that time, we shared with the candidates that we would not make an endorsement until after the primary.
Following the primary election, we thoroughly examined the platforms, histories, and credentials of candidates Alex Villanueva and Sheriff Jim McDonnell. After serious deliberation, countless conversations with our members, and discussions amongst the Board of Directors, we chose to endorse Alex Villanueva, believing him to be the right choice to lead the department and improve deputy morale. Villanueva has made it a priority to address our current staffing shortages, recognizing that an understaffed department leads to overworked deputies and seriously impacts public safety.
These survey results – representing a significant portion of our membership – reinforce and validate our decision to endorse Alex Villanueva. Regardless of the election outcome, ALADS looks forward to working with the elected Sheriff to provide better public safety and support deputies.
