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by Eddie Dillard
Prior to 2006, no candidate had ever run against the incumbent for the office of Alameda County Sheriff.
JoAnn Walker is one of two candidates running against the incumbent in the race to become Sheriff of Alameda County.
JoAnn Walker is a 26-year law enforcement veteran and she possesses all of the requisite credentials and experience to earn the trust of the electors to become the next sheriff of Alameda County.
Under the current sheriff, the department has been plagued with a myriad of problems that have been ignored and continue to be exacerbated:
- The increasing rate of suicides among inmates;
- Low staff morale;
- Increasing rate of sexual assaults between staff personnel and inmates, as well as sexual assaults between inmates; and
- Releasing prisoners, particularly the female inmates, at unreasonable hours of the night when public transportation is unavailable – often resulting in physical assaults or fatalities.
Ms. Walker is an award-winning volunteer suicide prevention crisis counselor and a 2016 recipient of the United States Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing.
She is endorsed by Bernie Sanders’ Our Revolution in their quest to elect more humane candidates for criminal justice offices.
Her outstanding tenure with the San Francisco Police Department has included:
- Working as a field training officer;
- Community liaison for Community Relations Unit;
- Member of the Captain’s Problem Solving Team;
- Liaison for the Health Streets Operation Center;
- Peer support counselor;
- Academy instructor: Developed and conducted training for law enforcement professionals in hate crimes, tactical communications and crisis support/suicide prevention;
- Coordinator for cultural competency; and
- Terrorism liaison officer.
As an adjunct professor at Cal State University East Bay, Ms. Walker taught physical education and nutrition in the Kinesiology Department.
The safety of Alameda County residents is Ms. Walker’s paramount concern, as well as the restoration of trust in the Sheriff’s Department.
Reforming the operational system within the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department will significantly impact how policing services are delivered to residents of Alameda County and policing outcomes.
Vote by Tuesday, June 7, 2022! Vote for JoAnn Walker, Alameda County Sheriff! Vote for leadership that is going to improve the quality of life for Alameda County residents!
Eddie Dillard, freelance writer for the Oakland Tribune, Oakland Post, Globe Newspaper and Daily Californian as well as SF Bay View, can be reached at eddie.dillard2020@gmail.com. He worked 30 years for the City of Oakland Office of Economic Development and for 15 years served as president of Oakland’s Black Chamber of Commerce.
Note: Commentary about Pamela Price and a photo of her was added to this story by mistake and has now been removed. We sincerely apologize for the error.
