Preferred pronouns
He/him
I empathize with our immigrant communities facing uncertainty and political attacks. The DCSO builds relationships, not barriers. I strongly oppose the 287(g) program and do not honor ICE detainers or administrative warrants, consistent with the Fourth Amendment. Under my leadership, we protect U-Visa victims, launched a DOJ language access initiative, opposed SB 57, ended SCAAP participation, and joined a pro immigration rights task force. Our deputies don’t inquire about citizenship status during contacts. Public safety thrives through trust, transparency, and compassion for all residents.
Our jail provides a safe, secure and humane environment rooted in respect. However, the new facility, reduced by the County Board from the expert-recommended 922 beds to just 825, will reach maximum capacity upon opening. This risks increased violence and limits rehabilitation. The new tower offers: reduced solitary confinement, dedicated exercise/worship/classroom space, and a full floor for medical/mental health care. Looking ahead, opportunities include a rural off-site facility for expanded vocational training and outdoor programming, and a women-specific center.
The Dane County Jail offers over 30 programs addressing mental health and substance use disorders, including full-time medical/mental health care, MAT (buprenorphine, Vivitrol, methadone), AA/NA, veteran programs, and reentry support. Alternatives like CAMP and GPS monitoring reduce incarceration trauma, with costs covered for those in need. The Paul Rusk Resource Window provides community aid, while rural mental health deputies and Crisis Intervention Training enable compassionate responses. I will continue advocating for a much needed “no wrong door” Crisis Triage Center in Dane County.
Public safety, addressing our staffing shortage, and criminal justice reform. Public safety remains the core mission of the Sheriff’s Office, as defined in Wisconsin State Statute. We are committed to building relationships and solving problems through evidence-based practices and procedural justice. To overcome our staffing challenges driven by retirements, we continue expanding initiatives such as the Public Safety Cadet Program and internships. In criminal justice reform, we will sustain data-supported programs, including Parenting Inside Out, MAT, mental health teams, and other programs.
My bachelor’s degree in Sociology and master’s in Criminal Justice, combined with Wisconsin certifications and instructor credentials, have prepared me well. I began as a Sheriff’s deputy, became the first Black officer at Sun Prairie PD, served as a Madison College faculty member & lead instructor, and worked with Wisconsin State Fair Park Police. Appointed in 2021 as Dane County’s first Black sheriff and elected in 2022, I have proudly served for five years. Through extensive civic leadership and my lived experience, I bring a unique perspective to advance equitable, effective public safety.
Preferred pronouns
He/Him
Yes. A county sheriff is not an arm of the federal deportation system, and I won't run the office like one. The reason is public safety. People who fear the badge don't report crimes or come forward as witnesses, and that makes all of us less safe. Our deputies' time and our local resources belong on local public safety, not federal enforcement. So I'll keep this office out of 287(g) and refuse data-sharing that turns our jail into deportation infrastructure. If you live here, you should be able to call for help without fear your life will be turned upside down.
The opportunity is real. A new jail is a rare chance to end conditions the current Sheriff himself calls "unsafe, inhumane, and borderline unconstitutional," starting by ending solitary confinement as the default for people in mental health crisis. Most people held there aren't convicted of anything. The challenge is a 2022 redesign cut humane elements to save money (in-person visitation, work-release housing, and programming space), while the county still pays over $207 million. I'll fight to restore what the budget allows, working with the County Board instead of against them in the media.
A jail is the most expensive and least effective place to treat mental illness or addiction. The office should help people get care, not warehouse a crisis. I'll back clinician-led crisis response, pairing deputies with mental-health professionals and county crisis teams, so these delicate situations get specialized responders who can navigate them. Where law and safety allow, I'll work to divert people into treatment rather than jail. Inside the jail, I'll strengthen medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder and end solitary confinement as the default for people in crisis.
A jail that meets constitutional standards: restore humane elements that were cut and deliver the facility honestly, working with the County Board, not through press releases.
Our deputies: fill vacancies, end mandatory overtime, invest in retention, and modernize scheduling with the union.
Leadership on the ground, not deference from afar: on April 18th at Ridglan, deputies took orders from private contractors, and a peaceful crowd met disproportionate, indiscriminate force. I'll make de-escalation the default and keep the department answering to the public, never to private interests.
WI doesn't require a sheriff to be a career officer, the job is leadership, judgment, and accountability. I'm a UW-Madison graduate, a ten-year Dane County resident, and a Senior Software Engineer where I oversee complex projects, anticipating and solving problems before they arise. For example, before Ridglan, I publicly warned that the Sheriff's posture risked unnecessary violence and spiraling costs and the result was exactly the disaster I predicted. That's what a $207M jail opening rife with issues needs, someone getting ahead of problems instead of reacting to them.
