The Webb County Sheriff's office in transition: an interview with sheriff-elect Rick Flores

 

By Katherine Eissler

 

Unfazed that the incumbent sheriff repeatedly called him “un guerco” in the March elections, Sheriff-elect Rick Flores got himself elected and never strayed from the message that he had what it took to free votantes and deputies alike from an incumbent Flores calls “el cacique,” Juan Garza.

After a well-fought electoral battle and a handy victory of 55.2 percent to Garza's 37.11 percent, Flores will take the helm of the Sheriff's Department on January 1, 2005. The sheriff-elect and his transitional staff, consisting of university professors, law enforcement officers, and other advisers, have big plans to restore the Sheriff's Department and to give government back to the citizens.

Flores also has plans to serve beyond the responsibilities of Webb County Sheriff by helping to generate funds on which the County has been so dependent in the past, without putting an additional burden on the taxpayers. Flores said it is in his best interest to give back to the people what was so unjustly taken from them and to lobby for the needs of the department's employees and the people of Webb County.

Flores said his transitional team has expressed a need for educated guidance for the Sheriff's Department.

He said the qualities gained through his education and experience in investigations and prosecutions will ultimately be reiterated administratively, so that actions can be taken to restore the organization to one that truly serves the County.

Flores agrees that the patrol division is crucial to any law enforcement agency, and it is the backbone of law enforcement; but, he added, administrative experience is likewise crucial.

With an ever-growing Webb County population, Flores said it is his job to use his skills as an administrator to knock down all necessary doors to guarantee that the department has the personnel and equipment to provide public safety.

His background as an instructor at the police academy and as an adjunct instructor of sociology at Laredo Community College and at Texas A&M International University, as well being the third recipient of the Domestic Violence Coalition's Advocate of the Year award, attest to Flores' qualifications, but only time will tell whether this Robin Hood can reverse the acts of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

LareDOS: What inspired you to run for sheriff?

Rick Flores: It's been something that I have always wanted. When I started my law enforcement career, going to school, I knew it was something I could do as long as I continued my studies in law enforcement.

You have been called a thinking man's sheriff because of your administrative training and “ un guerco ” for your lack of experience in patrolling. What training have you had, and how will that manifest when you take office?

I worked as a correctional officer, so I have had some background experience in the field of corrections, and I also worked for the state Adult Probation Office supervising a felony caseload. I also went through the police academy just like every other licensed police officer and have investigated cases at the District Attorney's office that have allowed me to evaluate what law enforcement does out in the field. Making sure that all the evidence has been collected and all the details are taken care of is what makes a case in court. We need to make sure that all the elements are met. I have spent time in the field with law enforcement to see how they handle domestic violence cases as well as other types of cases because domestic violence is the most common case we see. I have spent time with law enforcement officers. I'm working in a different trench, the administrative trench. I am also working with the victims when they come through the office. Working in administration is almost the same as any law enforcement position; it is just working in different areas. People think that just because I haven't worked in the streets that I don't have the experience, but I do have the experience. I work in a different area of law enforcement. It has been said that the Sheriff's Department is more administrative than other parts of the department, so the position will not require the sheriff to drive around in a cruiser. It is going to be more administrative, as far as evaluating the needs of the organization and its employees to be more efficient in providing a better service to the constituents of the County.

Do you think your lack of experience, or lack of time spent in a cruiser, is going to affect your abilities as a leader?

Definitely not. Being out there in the cruiser is a small portion of what law enforcement does. A very important part of law enforcement is the reports. Submitting them in a timely manner and making sure that all the information in a case is submitted in detail is very important because that is what we take to court. We want a favorable outcome when we take these cases to court. It is not really about being out in a cruiser, it is also about preparation and making sure that the case goes through the process and that justice is done. You have different types of law enforcement officers. You have the ones working in the trenches and cruisers, you have investigators, and then you have the officers doing the administrative work. So, you have different areas of law enforcement. That doesn't mean you have to be a patrol officer to be a peace officer. It is an important aspect of law enforcement, but it is not all of law enforcement.

What physical changes will be made, things the public will readily see?

We are changing the image of the Sheriff's Department. The uniforms and the badges will help restore the Western look. Investigators will be wearing blue jeans and white shirts and their cowboy hats and many officers are happy with the change. The Sheriff's Department needs to restore its Texas image because that is how people see it. We will see officers with their hats and pistolas and their new badges. We are also going to update the department's antiquated system of communication, and omit the reliance on cell phones. Something will need to be done about the departments other insufficiencies as well. There are 58 colonias in the County and only three cruisers out right now, six are being repaired. That is flat insufficient.

What about the sweetheart deals with the commissary and the life-threatening problems going on in the jail? What do you plan to do to remedy the negative assessments by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards?

The issues of concern right now are the overcrowding and classification of inmates. They have had problems with the correctional officer to inmate ratio and a variety of other violations. It is disappointing to hear that these violations have existed since 1999, and they have never been corrected. It worries me who has been administering the jail all this time. The question we have to ask is: do they have the adequate people to manage this facility? If the right people were there we would not have these problems. The first thing we want to do is comply with the requirements set by the Commission. We need to explore new innovative initiatives to be able to expedite people from the county jail to reduce overcrowding. There are a lot of non-violent offenders who are placed in jail and happen to stay there for quite a long time because the reports are not submitted to the District Attorney's office. Some of these people have to stay there and the county has to pick up the bill and support non-violent offenders. I think there are alternative sanctions, in terms of electronic monitoring and house arrest, techniques where these people are processed and then equipped with a bracelet, or tracking device, and sent home, versus having them stay in jail.

Are these effective methods?

Yes, they are. They have been effective in other cities like Dallas and Houston. I think we can use that here. The fact that we are going to work closely with other police agencies in terms of housing their arrestees will also be effective. The majority of arrestees coming into the county are of the city. What is happening is that the police reports are not being turned in expeditiously and these people have to spend a lot of time in jail. That is something we need to work on with the city to see if we can expedite the reports and have an assistant district attorney review them and see if the case meets merit and if it will continue through the process or if it will be dismissed. The result will be expeditiously removing these people from the jail versus having them stay there for 30, 40, or 60 days. We want to work with these other agencies to expedite the entire process.

The commissary is an area that we need to look at very carefully. All I can tell you are the rumors that you, along with everybody else, have probably heard. It is a sweetheart deal and the commissary vendors are making an enormous amount of money. I don't know who else reaps those benefits, but we are going to evaluate how the County can use its portion of the money that is being generated.

We have an idea who the people are that are trafficking the narcotics inside and we are going to be closely investigating the situation. People already know that I am coming in with a strong arm in that area. We need to clean the jail of narcotics and the syringes floating around from cell to cell. There are problems that we know of and we are strategizing as to how we are going to handle these issues.

What steps has your transitional administrative team taken to prepare the office?

We have a very diversified transitional team and that is what is helping us evaluate the organization carefully and determine what we need. The good thing about our transitional team is that everybody is a player and contributes what they think is good for the organization and what ought to be done. I welcome ideas and recommendations because that is the type of person I am. I am a team player and give credit where credit is due. I was very successful in campaigning because I had people around who were able to think outside the box and make me understand what people want from the Sheriff's Department. That is almost the same situation with our transitional team, people thinking outside the box on how we can make the organization better. We have people experienced in management and employment who address the primary needs of the employees. We are carefully evaluating all of these issues, which are going to help us bring in something that's good for all the employees. We want to bring in good initiatives and incentives so they can take ownership of the organization because that is ultimately what we want them to do.

What do the people want from the sheriff's department?

First of all, public safety. Our kids are very important to us. Our schools are rampant with drugs, gangs, and violence and people want law enforcement to participate in the safety of our children. That is going to be a priority in our organization. Second is the issue of domestic violence. It has been an issue of much concern to communities across the nation. It is my specialty, but a lot of other individuals have not had an opportunity to see what I have seen and what domestic violence does to families. That is something we are going to be looking at closely as well. I have worked in the area of homicide and with the families and victims who have suffered and been left behind due to domestic violence. We have seen first hand the destruction it causes to families and their children. It is a ripple effect; it affects the whole community. Anybody who comes across a victim of domestic violence will be disturbed. It is an issue of much concern to our organization.

What relationship do you have with sitting Judge Louis Bruni and former Webb County Judge Mercurio Martinez?

I have a good relationship with Martinez and Bruni. Of course, I have to work with Bruni. We have spoken and he knows where I stand and I know where he stands. He knows that I am a person who is not going to stand before the Commissioner's Court to request something extraordinary. The Sheriff's Department is going to lobby for whatever is just for the organization and the community and for whatever I need to be able to do my job efficiently and effectively. He understands that. I look forward to working with the incoming commissioners. I have already spoken with Jerry Garza and Frank Sciaraffa; they know what direction we need to move in terms of law enforcement. We just want to make a better quality of life for Webb County.

In a race that you hotly contested, a race in which you faced a popular incumbent, you won by a hefty margin. To what do you attribute such a well-defined margin of approval?

The fruits of our labor paid off. We worked very hard as the underdog. It is very tough to beat an incumbent. You have to work very hard and the timing has to be perfect. This is something that was not decided one day; it was something that I had thought on for three years. Our strategies paid off, we were able to bring in good people to the organization, and I also must say that our faith in God was very strong. God was on our side and people finally realized that we had an effective message to disseminate. Our message was that this campaign is not about Rick Flores, it is about them. It is about us all and that we all need to get involved to make a difference. It was in their hands and I pleaded with them to vote. They came out in record numbers and that was good.

What role has your family played in your campaign for sheriff?

My wife Alma has played a very significant factor in not only my life but also my campaign. It was nine months of “pregnancy” and making sure everything was all right. My sons Richie and Nohely and my daughter Rebecca, as well as the rest of my family, have been very good to me. My mother, Rosa Botello Flores, has also been a very significant factor in my life. She is a special woman who has a very special faith. She is the one who has kept me in line and kept me in check.

What are some of your core values as a father, a husband, and as a taxpayer that you will bring to office?

Honesty. I do not like deception. I have always told my kids it is better to tell the truth than lie. If you did something wrong, that is fine, just tell me. Do not lie, that is worse. I like people to be honest. I had people come up to me during the campaign and tell me they could not help me because Juan Garza had helped them and now they were committed to him. I respect those people for their honesty, rather than them tell me they were with me and they never really were. There are a lot of people I respect who were candid and honest during my campaign. That is a very important quality that I want in my administration. It is something we need to restore to the organization because there is a lot of deception and a lot of unprofessional practices. There is no respect for the rank and file amongst each other. I will introduce a paramilitary type of discipline. I want there to be a mutual respect.