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.

Prioritizing Violent Crime: Prioritized the prosecution of over 26,000 serious or violent offenses.
Improved the License Reinstatement Program: 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%.
Expanded Restorative Justice Programming: Established the Community Restorative Dialogue (CRD) program. Over 50 community volunteers participate in our restorative justice programming. Early data indicates the CRD program has reduced recidivism rates and is having a significant positive impact on participants. The County Attorney's Office has completed over 3,000 of these dialogues since 2023.
Created a low-level marijuana possession diversion program: This program has allowed participants to address substance abuse, take accountability, and earn a dismissal for low-level, non-violent marijuana possession.
Expanded Victim Support: Added a victim-witness liaison to provide additional support to crime victims.
Help Prevent Crimes Against Elders: Went to several Polk County senior centers to educate our elders and help prevent them from becoming victims of financial scams.

GVI (Group Violence Intervention). We're close to implementation of this successful violence prevention program, with the first training scheduled for October 2026. I'm Chair of the law enforcement work group of Safe & Thriving Youth. We've worked to bring this proven violence-prevention program to Polk County.
Sought and received funding from the Board of Supervisors for expansion of our Community Restorative Dialogue (CRD) program, which early data indicates has reduced recidivism.
Improve and expand services to young people in our Youthful Supervision Program (felony diversion program.)

Add two additional special victims bureau prosecutors to address the continued rise in domestic violence, human trafficking, sex abuse, crimes against children and elders, and other special victims bureau cases.
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.
Implementing a lethality questionnaire in September 2026, to better serve victims of domestic violence, harassment, and related crimes, to reduce risk of victims being seriously injured or murdered. This will provide better screening at the time police are called to the incident, and provide more information to judges as they are deciding on bond for defendants.
Creating a Child Internet Safety class for Polk County parents, free of charge, in September 2026 and offered monthly thereafter, to teach parents how to keep their children safer from online predators.