Klickitat County Sheriff race: Garique Clifford speaks on the issues

Clifford; I don’t know necessarily that I want it. I think it just came to me. I think the community including our county, wants a new leader of the sheriff’s office. And the opportunity presented itself. I have over 19 years experience in a wide variety of aspects of law enforcement. And I’ve raised my family in Klickitat County. I was raised in Klickitat County, for the most part. Some of the community members, some of the department staff asked me to consider to run and so I took a long time to think about it. And I felt it was a good opportunity to help the community and bring the department up.

Q How do you distinguish yourself from your opponent?

I feel like I’m more involved in the day to day activity of general patrol, but I’m also involved in reviewing case law. I’m also involved in supervising in managing aspects of the department. I feel like I have newer, more up-to-date leadership training. I know my opponent talks about his 22 years of leadership since he became an Undersheriff in Clark County. But I feel like as a leader in a department, you must continue updating training and leadership or you’re going to lose your way.

Q What are differences in leadership style between you and your opponent?

The leadership I endorse is one that’s working alongside with your deputies so that you’re involved in some of their decision making. But you’re also involved in current aspects of the law and the Constitution. By taking updated leadership training, you’re getting the latest strategies in leading an agency. You can also employ older strategies, but you have that variety and you’re able to distinguish and decide which way you want to go.

Q Can you give me an example?

I plan to be a working sheriff. As I travel to and from Goldendale, if there’s a call out there that needs to be handled, I’ll go handle it, I’m not afraid to do that. I’m not incapable of doing that. I’ll take the report. I don’t have to push paper on other deputies or anything like that. I can handle investigations - I’m absolutely capable of doing that, but I can’t take most of the calls because there’s just too many out there. And that’s why a sheriff has deputies to handle that kind of thing.

There’s other responsibilities the sheriff has to handle as well. I’m not opposed to backing up an officer. As I travel if I notice some type of suspicious activity, I can make contact. I can travel through less-traveled areas of Klickitat County that don’t get regular patrol, because as I go around and campaign and deliver my signs and talk to community members, there’s some communities in Klickitat county that tell me that they feel like they don’t get the proper amount of law enforcement in their area.

Q Why is it important, in your opinion, to have a sheriff that can do road patrol?

So that he’s working alongside the deputies, but so that he knows what’s out there. He’s familiar with the criminal activity that’s occurring. He’s familiar with the investigations that are happening, even if they’re minor ones. If he or she’s working in the community, they’re going to have a better feel for the community. The community’s going to feel protected. And feel like the sheriff is part of that. I also feel that deputies around Klickitat County need leadership training. Any time they go out to a scene by themselves, whether it’s a car accident, domestic violence or anything, they’re looked upon as leaders at that moment. So if the community is going to look at them as leaders, I think they need some type of leadership training.

Q What do you think it takes for sheriff’s office to be successful?

I think you need to be open to the public. You need to reduce crime. And you need to have complete and detailed investigations that go to the prosecutor’s office, which is the second step in the criminal justice system.

Q What qualifications do you have to align the sheriff’s office with those standards?

Have an open door policy, have regular communication with the public, I’d like to implement a public information officer. Facebook is a good way to keep the public informed. I want to establish a working relationship with the prosecutor’s office like I have now with the Skamania County Prosecutor’s office, so I can see what they need to help prosecute the crimes, and how we can improve our investigations It’s going to help victims of crimes if we improve our investigations through better supervision and training.

Q What kind of changes would you make to the Sheriff’s Office?

Currently there’s no undersheriff or chief criminal deputy. I would like to eventually implement those two positions. A command staff I think is very helpful to a sheriff. I think it’s helpful for the first line supervisors to get direction. When the supervisors have direction, the deputies have direction. Sheriff Songer has historically had either a Chief Criminal Deputy or an Undersheriff. I feel the department is getting big enough where that might need to be put in place.

Q We spoke about qualifications, but what values do you have that would allow for success in the sheriff position?

I want to be open and honest with my staff. I want to let them know that law enforcement is a difficult job. And we hear about it on the news every day. There’s some type of police activity in the news every day. And over my 19 year career, I’ve had great days, and I’ve had not so great days, and I want to help them along. There may be some that have more years than I do. But a lot of them don’t. And I may have experienced something that they haven’t yet. And so I hope that I can help them through a difficult time when they’re dealing with that. I want the staff to realize, besides their immediate supervisor, that there’s other resources out there for them. Because deputies and police officers around the country do have a hard time sometimes.

Q On the issues: Would you continue the posse program if elected?

Yes. As I go throughout the community, and I speak with different communities, different neighborhood groups, I see there’s some issues that need to be addressed with the policy. And I plan to address those issues. I want to make sure that they’re trained in what they’re doing. I recognize they’re not certified law enforcement. So they shouldn’t be doing law enforcement duties. And they shouldn’t look like law enforcement. I feel it is confusing to the public and it makes my job as a law enforcement officer harder when the public is confused. I do enjoy that they want to give back to the community. I love people who like to volunteer, I want to make sure it’s done and that they’re supervised while they’re doing it.

Q Are you a member of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, and do you align with those beliefs?

I am not a member of that organization. I do align with some of their beliefs. The Constitution is the framework of our country and the laws should work within that framework. I support the Constitution. I support all the amendments of the Constitution. I’m pro-Second Amendment. I don’t feel like to be sheriff or chief of police you need to be part of any specific organization.

Q Would you endorse a resolution to make Klickitat County a sanctuary county for gun rights?

No, I support my legislature as long as they’re working within the Constitution, I-1639 requires background checks. I fully support background checks. And I support locking your guns up. So that people who are prohibited are not allowed to have access, like children, and probably other prohibited people like felons, or people have been convicted of domestic violence crimes.