Candidate Profile: Ben Therriault For Contra Costa Sheriff

DANVILLE, CA — Ben Therriault is running against incumbent David Livingston for Contra Consta County sheriff in the June 7 primary election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns. Below are Therriault's responses.

Age (as of Election Day)

40

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

1 Daughter

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

University of San Francisco BS Management (2022 Fall Graduation)

Occupation

Police officer 14 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.ben4sheriff.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Sheriff because the office is devoid of leadership. We have made and need to continue to make smart reforms within law enforcement. Our Sheriff, our elected law enforcement leader has been absent from these conversations. The Sheriff has been in office for 12 years and crime is on the rise. Law enforcement is being held down by social service issues we were never designed to handle. This has to change.

We need an elected law enforcement leader who is proactive and on the cutting edge of our profession, not reactive.

Contra Costa needs an elected Sheriff that leads. Leads in providing deputies on the street to respond to basic 911 calls for all communities, crime data analysis to solve crimes for victims, data transparency, ending law enforcement as the primary response to mental/behavioral crisis and finally accountability for our actions and accessibility.

As Sheriff I will be the kind of leader that will usher in that change.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Contra Costa needs an elected Sheriff that leads. Leads in, providing deputies on the street to respond to basic 911 calls for all communities, crime data analysis to solve crimes for victims, data transparency, ending law enforcement as the primary response to mental/behavioral crisis and finally accountability for our actions and accessibility.

The current Sheriff has been in office for 12 years. Do you feel safer? None of these aforementioned issues have been a priority to him until I started my campaign. That's not leadership and it shouldn't take a campaign to do the right thing and be accountable to the voters.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency?)

The current Sheriff has been in office for 12 years and had an opportunity to address all of this. Only after finally getting a challenger has he decided to take action. That isn't leadership in law enforcement.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Improving Law Enforcement Mental Health Outcomes: We are at a time when we need to support and expand non-law enforcement intervention strategies to impact mental health. The challenge is bigger than law enforcement alone, but there are things we can do to reduce our contacts with those experience crisis and improve the contacts we do have. First, we need to ask ourselves should law enforcement be the primary response to those experiencing a behavioral health crisis? My answer is no.

Although there may be times when we need a role, we need to expand options that provide people the help they need. That includes: 1.) Expanding Crisis Intervention Training for our deputies, 2.) Supporting Expanding Mobile Crisis Intervention and Co-Responder Models As Sheriff, I will fully support non-enforcement clinical interventions when appropriate, programs like the Mental Health Evaluation Team, where officers and clinicians are partnered, and the county A3 behavioral health response system that activates mobile crisis dispatch for behavioral health calls. That includes expanding "co-responder" models like the Mental Health Evaluation Team and supporting the full implementation of the County's A3 model which will provide non-enforcement intervention. 3.) Advocating for resources for inpatient and residential psychiatric treatment at the state level and tools that help mandate treatment, and 4.) Reducing Repetitive Contacts: We know that often we get calls for service over and over from the same individuals in crisis. We need to prioritize resources to identify those individuals and provide more intervention support to reduce repeat crisis calls for service.

Crime Prevention, Crime Analysis and Community-Oriented Policing: By building relationships with the community and implementing smart reform strategies to make our profession better, we can improve our ability to solve crimes, and promote community partnership. I’m a big believer in looking at data to help us make decisions. Data-driven responses in a time of limited resources assists us to analyze trends. Whether it is on patrol or within the detention facilities we should evaluate what strategies are effective.

I believe in investing in the people who serve CCSO to ensure they have the best tools, training to safely serve, and investing in effective reentry programs. As Sheriff, I will rebuild our Crime Analysis and intelligence unit and crime prevention to ensure that we are using data to effectively deploy our resources and evaluate our strategies.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have an extensive background in labor leadership which includes making endorsements and navigating the political process. I also have been a part of putting together broad-based labor coalitions. My background in organizational management is complex and has covered a wide variety of issues dealing with law enforcement budgeting, policy and legislation.

I have been elected to serve within my own union and statewide union body. I serve as Director of the Bay Area Chapter of the Police Officers Research Association (PORAC). PORAC represents over 77,000 public safety members and over 930 associations, making it the largest law enforcement organization in California and the largest statewide association in the nation. I serve as Director for approximately 9,000 members. I have been a part of many positive reform legislation pieces within Sacramento.

I am currently serving my 3rd term (7 years total) as the President of my local union, the Richmond Police Officers Association.

I have embraced Richmond’s well-known practice of community policing. I’ve worked a variety of assignments including Vice Detective, Gang Detective, Housing Officer, Bicycle Officer, Crisis Negotiator, Mobile Field Force Officer (civil disturbance unit). I am entrusted by the department as a training instructor for new officers, also training advanced officer courses in police use of force, de-escalation, and emergency vehicle operations. In 2011, I was selected by my peers as Richmond Police Officer of the Year.

I have a California Peace Officers Standards and Training Certificate from the Institute of Criminal Investigation in Vice and Gang Investigations.

I have a Advanced California Peace Officers Standards and Training Certificate.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Just be real. It's not that complicated.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Good leaders makes good decisions experience should lead you to make good decisions and if your experience isn’t leading to good decisions, then the public should question that experience.

Contra Costa Sheriff's Office should be the model of what everyone else want to be in law enforcement the office should not be playing catch up.

Leaders who make good decisions understand that we need appropriate responses to mental/behavioral health. We need to partner alongside those professionals who are equipped to do that work. I want that for our county!

Leaders understand that every family wants their children to be able to play outside safety I want that for my daughter, and I want that for your family too.

And as Sheriff, I am committed to restructuring our organization to be flexible to respond to the 911 emergency needs that arise. To ensure all deputies are certified to work patrol and provide the law enforcement services you demand.

You deserve a sheriff that believes and will hold himself accountable to you. I am committed to a level of access that allows you to see what occurs in the Sheriff's office and allows your voice to be heard. I want an advisory council and I believe that government should be accountable to its citizens.

You deserve a sheriff who respects our criminal justice system and recognizes the importance of transparency and reform — a leader with a policing approach and sensitivity appropriate for the 21st century.

Let’s move forward together into a safer future for Contra Costa!

Check out the full CalMatters 2022 Voter Guide here.