1. Is there a need to establish a Citizen's Review Board to review public complaints dealing with the Sheriff's Department? Why or why not and be specific.

Yes! Since day number 1 of my campaign, I have been calling for a C.R.B.

Citizens pay the salaries of MCSO and have the right to question conduct of an officer that we have given authority, tasers and guns. These complaints need outside oversight.

The Citizen’s Review Board should be empowered to investigate the Sheriff, and top staff as well.

Currently, Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs handles all complaints, and makes all final decisions. Internal Affairs is the Court System of the Sheriff’s Office and the Director of Internal Affairs is the "Chief Judge." When unfair decisions are made, citizens lose faith in justice and deputies lose faith in superiors. We can’t afford those losses.

"Chief Judge" and Director of Internal Affairs for the past decade or more is Cindy Peryam. Cindy Peryam is the wife of Captain Bob Peryam, Sheriff candidate. Her conflict of interest is great, and undeniably affects the outcomes of her investigations. Neither Cindy nor Bob disclosed her position during his campaign.

Bob Peryam talks of his sparkling record. Cindy Peryam controls what is in his record. Both have worked at MCSO over 25 years. Obviously Cindy Peryam would be protective of her husband, those he oversees, and their long established friends.

Of the 100s of citizen complaints Internal Affairs (Cindy Peryam) receives per month, approximately 20 are looked into, and the rest cast aside. I have been inundated with citizens telling me they were treated like adversaries, ignored, dismissed, told to go elsewhere, and never received any type of written confirmation their complaint was looked into whatsoever. This contradicts the very mission of Internal Affairs, is unethical and unacceptable.

The citizens need proof that all complaints are legitimately researched, appropriate action taken, and a record of such made available to the public. Deputies need assurance that no prejudice is involved in decisions that are made by Internal Affairs because the decisions made by Cindy Peryam effectively determine who is promoted and who is terminated. She has controlled the ranking of 600 employees for the past 10 years and effectively created the entire hierarchy at MCSO, which is why I question the validity of it. And she has controlled 60,000 citizens ability to be heard. We can’t afford for one person to have this kind of control over 600 employees and 60,000 citizens. With a stroke of her pen, she can dismiss them or us.

Sheriff Roth’s decision to put an insider in control of Internal Affairs damaged the credibility of the entire agency. Morale declined, prejudice and unfairness followed, and many left the employ of MCSO. If elected Sheriff I will look into those ignored complaints and also the terminations scripted out of Internal Affair's findings.

Yes, we need a Citizens’ Review Board right now! And we need a new Internal Affairs Director who has no conflict of interest, who’s only allegiance to the citizens and the law. Both Peryam’s are eligible to retire, and I believe they should.

2. Summary of question: The hospitals have entered into contracts with a private air ambulance service LifeNet...In light of budget cuts does it make sense to fund the Trauma Star helicopter? Couldn't those funds be better used elsewhere?

2. (a) We need to get rid of the Trauma Star immediately. In addition to LifeNet, Baptist Hospital is rumored to be buying Lower Keys Medical Center. They have air transport and provide the finest care in the State.

West Palm Beach is also advertising very low cost (if not free) air transport from the Keys to their hospital, which they claim can handle any emergency and all staff necessary is there. We have options for air transport, and we don’t need to provide this service in the Keys at our expense. We can’t afford it. Commissioner Sylvia Murphy, a former Emergency Medical Technician, is aware of both sides of the issue from the medical needs side, and the county budget side. She told me, "We no longer need the Trauma Star, it served it‘s purpose and now it needs to go."

Trauma Star was a pet project of Sheriff Roth and former commissioner David Rice. David’s son, Mike Rice is Bureau Chief at MCSO. I am sure David Rice benefited from this purchase in one way or another. Former commissioner Rice still has contracts with the Sheriff and the Guidance Clinic netting him $1 million or so per year. Mike recently was interviewed by the Citizen regarding the Trauma Star. Of course he is protective of his father and passionately defended keeping of the Trauma Star. The Citizen failed to mention the connection between David Rice, Mike Rice and the Trauma Star.

(b) Absolutely the funds could be better used…or not spent at all. What a concept… save some money for the taxpayers, and actually cut the budget!

3. Detail your plans to keep experienced employees, staff new sections, and undertake changes in the Sheriff's Dept. in light of anticipated reductions in the Departments budget.

I have detailed a $7,000,000.00 budget reduction on this site at Changes I Will Make Please review it.

I not only eliminate $7 million from the budget with these changes, but I increase our 60 deputies pay by $10,000 each per year, increase the pay of the Corrections Officers, and add new programs in my plan. I also eliminate unnecessary or overpaid top level positions, their numerous assistants, and eliminate the take home cars for desk staff.

I want a more desirable workplace. I want a daycare in the MCSO Stock Island compound for employees, that provides after school activities and supervision for older children as well. Google created a successful workspace, by thinking outside the box of antiquated ideas. We have to think outside the box.

If child care conflicts can be eliminated or reduced, we can attract young local career employees.

It costs a lot to train an employee. By keeping our employees for a career, instead of 1 year, the savings in training would more than make up for the cost of the daycare. And the diminished productivity levels would be a thing of the past.

I also would like to increase the Work Release program which offers qualified inmates jobs while incarcerated. Currently it is one of the most successful programs, and I believe it needs to be expanded 3 fold. I would like to offer inmate services to non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity, and environmental clean up projects. I would also like to start a vegetable and fruit garden/nursery run by the inmates. The garden produce and the nursery items could be sold to the community to offset incarceration expenses.

In work programs, inmates learn skills they can use to obtain jobs, and the County and non-profits are assisted with reduced labor costs. More importantly, the structure and purpose these programs provide are components necessary for rehabilitation. Successful rehabilitation does not solely benefit the inmate, but serves society as a whole. Every time a criminal is rehabilitated, a burden is lifted from society. However you feel about people that commit crimes, they are a part of our Human Family. They will spend a few years in jail on average and then be back in society. If their ills are ignored or left untreated…beware, once they get out of jail, you or someone you know might be their next victim.

Rehabilitating criminals is not "soft on crime", it’s the only prudent and wise thing to do. Inmates need more than lip service and endless counseling. They need skills, they need to feel value, and they need to feel a connection with society. We must create in them a desire to fit in peacefully within society. And they can only be compelled to do that, if they believe they have a purposeful life. Most inmates already live with guilt and shame. We have convinced them what they did was wrong. Now we have a challenge, encourage them to do what is right from now on!

"Tougher jails!" as Ken Davis promises is not only an ignorant solution to a huge problem, but is inhumane for the majority of the type of offenders we generally house. Fear of the law didn’t keep them out of jail, nor will tougher jails keep them out. Learning a new way of life, and a new way to fit in will.

4. If elected, what changes do you intend to make and what investigative or other law enforcement programs do you plan to institute in the Sheriff's Dept? Describe in detail how these changes will favorably affect law enforcement efforts.

I definitely want to recruit new detectives from within or without the current staff.

Our crime solving rate is one of the poorest in the nation (under 20%).

Our current MCSO detectives are ineffective and have failed in their jobs.

Many have been this ineffective for the entire 20 years they have worked there. Either they have not been properly trained, or they do not have the heart, mind and soul needed for this type of work. We have 80 unsolved murders, and disappearances spanning 3 decades. Recently, 8 homeless murders in 2 months and we haven’t a clue. That is unacceptable.

Only the most discerning, intelligent, dedicated, passionate and hardworking deputies should be made detectives. I will be looking for them to hire.

I want more training for the street deputies. Many arrests that are made, are dependent on pleas for prosecution, as they can’t hold up in Court because of the errors made during arrest. I want to have top Criminal Attorneys educate our officers about Courtroom procedures, inadmissible evidence, etc. The citizens don’t want criminals let out on technicalities, and we don‘t want deputies that don‘t know the laws.

There are continuous complaints about unfair treatment and selective enforcement. If I am elected all deputies will be fair an impartial in their enforcement of the law or they will be fired. No more favors granted because of who someone is or who they know. Everyone gets treated the same. Everyone plays by the same rules.

An impartial Sheriff and deputies would restore faith in our justice system, and it is long overdue!

I want more female deputies, and more minorities. I want to recruit locally for our staff, and introduce a training program at the High Schools. I want our new law enforcement recruits to come from the local population, and to be paid enough that they can consider a career with MCSO without a second job to live here. I can do this by eliminating the millions in "fluff" in the budget.

I want more interaction with the community and our officers at fun events for the family. I want a greater community policing effort and this can only work if the public trusts our Sheriff Office entirely.

I want preventative programs for the youth, especially targeting single parent homes.

I want officers interacting with the youth in positive ways, at boxing gyms, on playing fields and anywhere else the youth are likely to be. I want a safe place for youth to go and someone there they can talk to, when they are feeling peer pressure about drugs and other criminal activities. I want School Resource officers whom are empathetic to the children and the teens and the problems and pressures they face at every school in the Keys.

5. What steps will you take to reduce the budget without adversely affecting public health and safety?

I would restructure the retirement program. Currently, the way I understand it, if a person’s age and years of service add to 70, they are eligible for full County retirement benefits until they die. In effect a 60 year old could get a job as a school crossing guard and work 5 years, then aged 65+5 yrs service=70. They would be entitled to full retirement benefits. These retirement benefit rules were created in the past without considering the outrageous and spiraling costs later. But now these benefits cost the County 30% of our entire County budget, and go up yearly. We can’t afford this.

I certainly would not hire individuals who are merely looking for this benefit and have no intention of a career. I also would change this rule of retirement if possible.

We have a disproportionate amount of desk staff vs. deputies and patrol. I want this balanced: less staff in the offices, and more deputies on the streets.

I want a better health care provider for the employees. Currently the health care cost to the Sheriff Office is $800.00 per month per employee. The benefit’s the employees have is unacceptable to them because of the restrictions. It only provides care in the Keys and South Fl. If they are out of town and have a problem, they have no health care benefits. I don’t know who initiated this contract, but I suspect some palms were greased in that one. I would give the full time Sheriff employees Blue Cross & Blue Shield like other County employees have and probably save a load of money.

I would triple the number of inmates in the Work Programs as I described earlier.

I would eliminate corrupt activities: No-bid contracts to the tune of millions of dollars per year. They still exist, and many will be passed again this summer before the election. There are "ghost programs" that are inoperable or ineffective, with director‘s being paid $50,000.00- $100,000.00 per year in salaries. Grant money is unaccounted for that was intended to treat drug abusers, the homeless, single parents and their children, etc. Lobbyists ensure the purchases of many unnecessary items, or overpriced items which the taxpayers pay for and receive no benefits from. Eliminate the greased palms transactions.

Eliminate the "air force" of helicopters and planes and the hangar that houses them.

Eliminate nepotism violations and the conflicting positions within MCSO that guarantee corruption.

So much more, so much more…

The County voters would be wise when they go to the polls this time, to elect someone who is not using the Sheriff Office as their personal employment agency. Someone who’s interest is in justice not power and someone who owes no favors. I hope you consider me, Sandy Downs, when you vote.

1. What does green mean to you?

Respecting Mother Earth, and holding it in reverence and awe. We must preserve, conserve, and leave resources and beauty for the future generations to use and enjoy.

2. What green actions have you / do you take in your personal and professional life?

I come from a family of farmers. We have always recycled everything from metal to buttons. We patched buildings, fences, and clothes much like the Keys residents did in days gone by. In the last 30 years, society has become accustomed to everything being brand new and shiny, and anything old is simply tossed away. Out of sight, out of mind. Buy it brand new, it's cheap at Wal-Mart. Never do we consider what is raped and pillaged from the earth to make these "new" shiny items, nor do we consider where all the discarded items will go!

We can't go on living like this. We are taking too much from the earth's limited resources, the population is growing bigger every day. The US can't be gluttonous pigs any longer and expect the rest of the world to not despise us.

I have taught my children, all 6 of them this message. I have sent them every summer to work on our family's farm. They harvest the vegetables and fruit and then can them for use later. We have always had a close kinship with nature. My children wear old clothes, fix everything they can that is broken, and waste almost nothing. They certainly do not take Nature for granted, or our resources. All of my children have chosen to live here in the Keys, though one son is at U of F getting a Doctorate degree, and his major is Horticulture. He primarily studies trees, ways to grow more in less time, and ways to save the sick and injured ones. My husband is an arborist. Trees are our business. We mulch everything we can and give it away. My husband saves fronds for the weavers, gives tree stumps and branches to the Boy Scout camp for firewood and saves coconuts for cancer patients or whomever wants them.

Two of my sons are fishermen. Their life is the water. We take the Keys and it's beauty very seriously as we have already seen the decline in just 6 short years here. We fix everything we can so there is less to discard. We reuse what would be trash to most people, parts on engines, metal, wood, clothes, fishing line, etc.

I also spent 6 months living at Arcosanti and studying the city built to co-exist with environment, manage a growing population burden, and live within our own means "locally". We recycled EVERYTHING including water, garbage, etc. We grew most of our food, and lived in very small spaces so that the environment could be saved for all to enjoy. Grand, spectacular amounts of it! Google it. It is well worth the study and well worth the trip if you can go there. Take your kids. It is near Scottsdale AZ and was created to be a model for the future 30 years ago. The future is here now!

Paolo Soleri was the man behind it all and he was brilliant in predicting the calamity that was to come if we didn't change our ways. If we don't start respecting Mother Earth again she will bring us to our knees. If you can't afford the trip to Arcosanti, just take the whole family to see Wall-e the movie.

3. In your opinion, what are the three easiest green changes that the Sheriff's Office could implement right now?

A)Get rid of 200 cars and the Trauma Star helicopter and all the fuel they use.

Cut out the 200 cars that are given to desk staff at Headquarters. We don't need to own, maintain, pay insurance for, or fuel these vehicles at over $4.00 per gallon! They are perks for civilians and supervisors that never patrol. Many make $70,000.00 plus a year while the deputies that need the cars and face the bullets on patrol make $50,000.00.

We don't need Trauma Star. We have LifeNet services for air ambulance.

Miami Children's has their own service. Baptist Hospital is in negotiations to take over Lower Keys Medical Center and they have their own helicopter service. Also, West Palm Beach Hospital has been advertising their air ambulance service available from the Keys to their hospital and they can handle any emergency and are fully staffed. Get rid of Trauma Star now.

B) Save all we can on electricity and water usage at all facilities, all substations and jails.

I want to triple the work release program inmates and start new work programs involving inmate run gardens/nurseries and recycling centers. I can close portions of the jail down in the day when the inmates are working. I can close one sub-station and possibly the Marathon jail for intake. This would produce quite a bit of savings on electricity and water.

C) Recycle everything that is used by MCSO and it's employees.

4. In your opinion, what are three of the most important green changes needed within the Sheriff's Office.(not necessarily the easiest).
A) The inmates need to be working. I want a recycling center and a garden/nursery.

I want a recycling center where the inmates sort, and prepare everything from plastics to metal for resale.

I also would eventually like to have a pick up service run by inmates where they can disassemble and recycle most of what is thrown away.

I want an inmate run garden/nursery. The produce would offset the cost to feed the inmates, and also could be sold to the public. The nursery items could be sold to the public and also donated to beautify the Keys.

Both programs would create responsibility in the inmates and give them a purpose for their life while in jail. Wayward people are a big problem the world faces, we can't diminish the value of a human when going "green". We need to "recycle" them as well and teach them to co-exist with nature and others.

B) Get rid of all the unnecessary cars, helicopters, offices, etc. as described in #3.

C) Enforce environmental laws! The Sheriff has the authority to do this, but has been unwilling to take this on. Enforcement is passed on to DEP.

DEP is closed on the weekends, but the Sheriff isn't. I have a tremendous interest in our environment here. I am sure you have heard about my attempts to stop my neighbors from hacking down our state owned mangroves for their view. I respect and will enforce the environmental laws vigorously if I am elected.

5. What priority will you give green initiatives if you are elected?

HIGH Priority. The Earth sustains our life. If we don't respect that, obviously we won't respect anything or anyone else. To have a beautiful and peaceful community, we have to pull together and live in harmony with nature and others. Times have changed. We took everything for granted for so long and it's coming to a halt. Pressure is on everyone to conserve.

We have to leave something for future generations. Previously law abiding citizens might be tempted to cheat here and there to maintain their comfortable lifestyles. Taking a little more than you need is no longer acceptable. If you abide by the law out of fear, you might succumb. If you abide by the law out of respect for others, and for justice, you won't be tempted.

Citizens that abide by the law out of respect, tend to be conscientious and passionate about others and the environment. Respect and consideration for nature and others goes hand in hand.

I want everyone treated fairly. I want the laws to apply to all equally. I do not tolerate abuse of any kind, not to others or to nature. There should be more awareness about our environment. We need to start learning to live together better, and not because we are afraid of breaking the law, but because we actually care about our fellow humans and we want to co-exist peacefully. I know this is a dreamer message, but if we don't dream, we will die. Our old ways don't work. We have to bring this community together on this mission.