Rick Reigenborn, candidate for Adams County Sheriff

Party: Democrat

City: Brighton

Profession: Law Enforcement

Contact: Reigenborn4sheriff@gmail.com, Reigenborn4Sheriff@FaceBook.com

Reigenborn4Sheriff.com

What must an effective Sheriff accomplish?

The Sheriff must connect with the community and be available when questions or needs arise. The Sheriff Office needs to be the leading law enforcement agency in the entire county not just in the unincorporated area, thus ensuring the protection of the community through effective law enforcement. Employee retention needs to be a priority in order to provide adequate safety and service to the citizens of Adams County and those held in the detention center.

What traits are crucial for a Sheriff to possess?

The Sheriff must be the leader of the agency that has earned respect from the community and the employees. The Sheriff needs to have a strong knowledge of the laws in order to uphold the constitutional rights of our citizens. The Sheriff must be honest and approachable, leading by example so that the community and employees have mutual respect for the other.

How has population growth affected crime in Adams County?

As the population has increased in Adams County, we have seen crime rates increase as well as has the number of arrests. It is incumbent that the sheriff increases staffing so that deputies can be proactive in the prevention of crimes. The population in Adams County was 419,439 in 2009 and projected to be 523,218 by 2021; the Sheriff's office needs to be prepared for this growth.

How can deputies be trained to better handle calls related to mental illness?

With close to 2 million people being jailed with mental health issues, it is often the deputies that have first contact with someone with mental health issues. There are some great training programs such as CIT training or Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety which gives the deputy skills to recognize the symptoms of mental illnesses and substance use, engage the person in crisis, de-escalate the incident and connect the person to needed care.

Should it be easier to take guns away from people with mental illness who are deemed a threat to themselves or others?

I do believe as a society we have a duty to protect every person from violent acts. I agree with the attempts to pass legislation such as the “Red Flag Law” which would make it possible to take a firearm from someone that is suicidal or homicidal. Deputies would still need a warrant to seize the firearm, giving a due process to the seizure. A person's life is invaluable, we should treat is as such.