I am the best qualified candidate for Sheriff of Ada County; I feel a duty to run, and it is an honor to do so for my community.

Ada County needs an experienced law enforcement leader to serve our growing community. We have had no elected Sheriff for over a year, and the temporary sheriff has less than 4 years of experience at the rank of Lieutenant or above, compared to my 11 years of executive level leadership.

Too often sheriff elections are limited to whoever happens to be available from within the agency. This leaves voters stuck getting what they’ve always had, instead of the best possible candidate based on the experience and credentials required to meet the current and future needs of the community.

I’m running to serve my community and create a safer future for Ada County residents, businesses, and visitors.

I committed to a career in law enforcement in 1986. My “WHY” is the same to this day – To be my best, and apply everything I am to provide what’s needed, when it’s needed – especially in dire circumstances when nothing else matters in the moment. I have applied this basic mindset to being a Trooper, Paramedic, and Idaho POST Director. I intend to do the same as Ada County Sheriff.

Here’s a “Real Story” about Vic:  When he first considered this career in 1985, a Trooper shared with him an experience of fear and courage, which helped challenge and solidify Victor’s commitment to becoming a law enforcement professional.

WATCH VICTOR’S REENACTMENT OF THE “REAL STORY” TOLD TO HIM BY TROOPER MCCOTTRY

He moved to Ada County in 2014 after accepting an appointment to the position of Division Administrator (Director) of Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training. After a 29 year career in law enforcement in Arizona, he values being back in the great northwest region of the U.S.

Growing up, he did not seriously consider becoming a police officer. However, he has used his entire life experience to inform his work and help him connect with the communities he has served. In fact, a lesson he learned from his grandmother at age 5 helped him catch two car thieves and kidnappers 19 years later. Click the link below to listen to this humorous, but serious true story, recorded back in 2011.

GRANDMA ADDIE

My formal higher education is specific to public safety and organizational performance. These credentials uniquely qualify me to serve my community as Sheriff.

• Master of Science, Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning
  • Boise State University, Boise, Idaho (Honors Graduate)
• Bachelor of Science, Public Safety Administration
  • Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona (Summa Cum Laude)
• Graduate Certificate, Workplace Instructional Design
  • Boise State University, Boise, Idaho
• Graduate Certificate, Criminal Justice Education
  • University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
  • Earned while completing the FBI National Academy Session #249 (2012)
• High School Diploma
  • Bellarmine Preparatory School, Tacoma, Washington

My 32 years of law enforcement experience includes over 11 years of executive level leadership, compared to the temporary sheriff’s 3-4 years.

I am an FBI National Academy graduate – a national police leadership rite of passage. I have a BS specifically in Public Safety Administration, and a MS in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning. The temporary sheriff has a BS in Biology. Per his website, he has attended Leadership in Police Organizations (LPO), a program which I have taught since the late 2000’s, and still reference when I teach leadership courses as a consultant today.

My expertise is hard-earned, with a wide range of challenges, successes, and lessons learned which simply cannot be gained from a narrow local career with limited leadership experience.

I developed my leadership competency over time, under critical and demanding conditions like those in Ada County’s near future. I have actual experience policing a growing population of over 0.5 million. Policing “more” is not the answer to our community’s future needs. We must police differently.

I have a first-hand understanding of the demands of policing a growing population. Policing “more” is not the answer to our community’s future needs. We must police differently. I will accomplish this through innovative application of the Data Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety methodology – evidence-based and proven practice. In combination with a rigorous evaluation of outcomes and impacts, Ada County will become one of the safest communities of its size in the nation.

I have over 11 years of executive command experience. I promoted to Lieutenant in 2007 in a county with 4 million residents, with dozens of growing communities, towns, and a major city of 1.5 million. My Troopers handled over 70,000 calls for service annually. The temporary sheriff has less than 4 years of executive command experience and was promoted to Lieutenant in one area with 30,000 residents and 8,000 calls for service annually (Eagle).

Everything from emergency traffic management to violent crime response, to drug and mental health issues, must be addressed using best practices of modern policing. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office needs a leader committed to evidence-based practices, data driven decision making, and measured continuous improvement through evaluation of community impact. I am well-acquainted with these concepts. This is what I do as a consultant. It is what I will do as Ada County Sheriff.

I will approach staffing in two ways.

First, I will conduct a comprehensive organizational culture assessment. To attract new hires and keep valued employees, the Sheriff’s Office must become a welcoming, rewarding, and inclusive work environment for everyone. The red flags that no female Deputies hold a rank above Sergeant, and the lack of minorities among the ranks, point to a severe lack of attention to productive employment diversity in Idaho’s largest law enforcement agency.

You cannot simply “recruit” your way out of a staffing shortfall. I understand that staffing is a multifaceted issue which also involves retention, employee engagement, job satisfaction, and most of all culture. Therefore, I will use the results of the culture assessment to implement an evidence-based workplace climate alignment process to better exemplify the agency values and mission both internally and externally. For an example of what a cultural assessment and recommendations looks like, please visit my portfolio Organizational Culture Assessment example of work I completed for a large state police dispatch center. You can find that here: ORAGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ASSESSMENT

Second, I will conduct a staffing needs assessment. This assessment will examine all aspects of a career in the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, from recruitment to retirement, and identify areas of needed improvement. I have completed similar work as a consultant with large and small organizations, and I will lead this process in ACSO. For an example of what this looks like, please visit my portfolio Needs Assessment example of work I completed with a team of researchers for a large client involved in homeland security work. You can find that here: NEEDS ASSESSMENT EXAMPLE

The recent scrutiny has been demoralizing to the vast majority of law enforcement personnel, sworn and professional staff, who uphold their oath with honor.

I know from experience that fairness and equity are products of consistently positive community impact.

I will form a Citizens’ Advisory Committee to gather feedback and oversee an evidence-based program to evaluate our community impact. I will develop a customized program logic model (PLM) to ensure we are preserving the values, freedoms, and quality of life that make Ada County unique. The Ada County Sheriff’s website has information on resources, activities, and basic outputs of organizational performance. What’s missing are the outcomes and impacts – the most important performance dimensions for effectiveness. I believe this is not only missing on the website, it’s missing in the community – that’s a problem I intend to address.

I have applied evidence-based evaluation models as a consultant with large and small organizations, and I will facilitate this objective process with the Citizens’ Advisory Committee. For a general example of what an in-depth impact evaluation looks like, please visit my portfolio Program Evaluation example of work I completed with research partners for a military client. Please see Appendix A for an example of a PLM. You can find that here: PROGRAM EVALUATION EXAMPLE

Community policing is the foundation of modern police methodology, although we as a profession have periodically lost our way in achieving the full benefits of a productive relationship with our citizens. Idaho citizens in general have a high degree of trust in the police. I intend to justify that trust through deliberate and mindful leadership of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

Under my leadership, Ada County Sheriff’s employees will be responsive and responsible in everything we do, every day – with every citizen. I will expect Ada County Deputies to carry out their duties in a manner worthy of public trust and respect, regardless of whether that respect is forthcoming or not. It’s our oath. Please review my published article on Procedural Justice as it relates to use of force training to learn more about my research and thoughts on this topic. It can be found here: STANDARDS & TRAINING DIRECTOR MAGAZINE, September 2021

Demonstrations and protests are protected by the First Amendment. These activities become criminal behavior when threats, intimidation, trespassing, harassment, or stalking are used to suppress the lawful expression of opposing views, or to pressure public officials or obstruct their ability to carry out their elected duties.

Working with prosecutors and the Attorney General, the Sheriff’s Office can define, and I as Sheriff will publicly declare, which activities are legal, and which are illegal. I will then take immediate decisive action to stop illegal activities, while protecting all legal activities per the constitution.

I have coordinated police security responses to interstate highways, buildings, dwellings, presidential speeches, and the Super Bowl (XLII). Legal legitimacy paired with decisive enforcement action are key to individual and public safety.

Click here to view my position statement.