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Darren White (i), Republican

Darren White

The Job of Bernalillo County Sheriff

The county's top law enforcement official. Oversees the Sheriff's Department's more than 400 employees. Pays $59,397 a year. (i) denotes incumbent.

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Candidate for Bernalillo County sheriff

Name: Darren White (i), Republican

Age: 43

Campaign Web site address: sheriffdarrenwhite.com

Occupation: Bernalillo County sheriff, 2003-present

Family: Wife, Jennifer; son, Darren

Education: Bachelor's in management, University of Phoenix

Please list the experience you think would make you a good sheriff:

I bring extensive practical and administrative experience to the sheriff's post, having served both the Albuquerque and Houston police departments. From 1995 to 1999, I was the appointed cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS), which includes the New Mexico State Police, the Emergency Management Bureau and the Law Enforcement Academy.

Have you ever been arrested or charged with a felony or misdemeanor?

A couple of traffic violations.

What's the best meal you can cook from scratch?

Western omelette.

Last book you read:

"1776" by David McCullough

What was your biggest mistake in life and what lesson did you learn?

At times, my passion for the job causes me to spend too much time at work, which results in less time with my family.

Why do you want to be sheriff? What qualities do you bring to the job?

I feel very blessed to work with one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the country. I am committed to fighting crime and possess the experience and drive necessary to get the job done.

The Metropolitan Detention Center regularly reaches new record highs in population, and the county to has had to lease beds elsewhere and put stackable bunk beds in the jail. What is your long-term plan to keep the jail population under control? How are you working with the county to increase the number of correctional officers?

It is important to note that the sheriff is not responsible for the operation of the jail. While I will continue to work with the county to control costs, my first obligation is to public safety. If a criminal needs to be behind bars, I will do all within my power to ensure that happens.

What distinguishes you from your opponent?

I have been a career law enforcement officer for 18 years, half of which has been in senior management positions.

What can be done to better combat DWI in Bernalillo County?

Since taking over as sheriff in 2003, the department has added a DWI Unit. This has resulted in an increase in DWI arrests. While some progress has been made in strengthening our state's DWI laws, what has not changed is the punishment for first-time offenders. Given that first-time offenders are responsible for more than 70 percent of all alcohol-related crashes, it is time to impose mandatory jail time for the first offense.

How can the county reduce gang activity?

It is imperative that we increase penalties for gang-related violence. Also, I believe there is a direct correlation between drop-out rates within our public schools and increasing gang membership. If we can address one problem, we will go a long way toward addressing the other. We will continue to work within the school system in order to reach younger children in order to deter gang participation and activity.

Do we need changes to our state's sex-offender laws? What would you do to keep better tabs on the county's registered sex offenders?

Some judges just don't get it. Someone who molests a child should never be given probation. I support mandatory life in prison upon a conviction for first-degree rape of a child under 12 years old. Since taking over as sheriff, the Department's Sex Offender Registration and Tracking Unit has substantially increased the number of arrests for non-compliance and started working with state probation and parole officials to monitor our state's most dangerous sex offenders with GPS tracking.

What new initiatives should be taken to combat crime related to methamphetamine use?

In my entire career, I have never witnessed a more destructive drug. The Sheriff's Department has done an incredible job shutting down meth labs and those who peddle this poison. Unfortunately, while our efforts have resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of clandestine labs in the county, the amount of meth coming in from Mexico has skyrocketed. To combat this problem, we will continue our aggressive enforcement; however, this must be coupled with adequate treatment options for the user wishing to shed their addiction.

What is the state of the Sheriff's Department's technology? What technologies would you add to the department and why?

The law enforcement community must take advantage of the incredible new resources at our disposal which allow us to work more quickly and effectively. Advancements over the last several years allow us to perform critical functions such as identifying and eliminating suspects, tracking offenders and locating our most vulnerable victims.

Over the past four years, the department has invested heavily in new technology, as well as the maintenance and upgrade of our existing systems. The department has made the names of the county's 70,000 warrants available on-line to the public. We purchased a system that allows the department to track reported crimes in the county against the path of criminals wearing GPS monitoring bracelets. We are currently working with TruTouch Technologies in their development of a system which will some day provide us the tools to non-invasively test blood alcohol levels and receive immediate information relating to a person's level of impairment.