What we’ve Accomplished

We've accomplished a lot, and there is more to do to create a safer, healthier Polk County in a second term.

ACCOMPLISHED

  • Greatly improved the License Reinstatement Program (LRP) to help people regain driving privileges. Program went from $100 deposit and $50 a month to no deposit and an ability-to-pay model. LRP participation has increased 111% percent since late 2022. Additionally, Polk County driving while barred arrests have been reduced by 9%.  

  • Established the Community Restorative Dialogue (CRD) program, enlisting the participation of over 50 community volunteers in our restorative justice programming. Early data indicates the CRD program has reduced recidivism rates and is having a significant positive impact on participants.

  • Targeted Violent Crime: Prioritized the prosecution of over 26,000 serious or violent offenses.

  • Expanded Victim Support: Added a victim-witness liaison to provide additional support to crime victims.

  • Cut Recidivism Through Diversion: Started a successful marijuana diversion program and facilitated over 3,500 restorative justice dialogues, both shown to reduce reoffending.

  • Went to several Polk County senior centers to educate our elders and help prevent them from becoming victims of financial scams.

IN PROGRESS

  • CVI (Community Violence Intervention), aka GVI in other jurisdictions.  We're close to implementation and I'm the chair of the law enforcement work group.

  • Sought and received funding from the BOS for expansion of our Community Restorative Dialogue (CRD) program, which early data indicates has generally reduced recidivism from around 32% to 7%.

  • Improve and expand services to young people in our Youthful Supervision Program (felony diversion program.)

FUTURE PLANS

  • LEAD (pending funding, but have discussed with all law enforcement agencies and all have expressed support for the idea, we just lack funding for a program coordinator and several social workers)

  • Continue to seek funding for a full-time social worker to connect victims and defendants with services and to work with the young people in our Youthful Supervision Program, a felony diversion program.