Carmen Navarro Gercone: Cook County Sheriff Candidate

COOK COUNTY, IL — Ahead of Illinois' June 28 primary elections, Patch distributed questionnaires to candidates running in contested races in the Democratic and Republican parties, including the five candidates seeking a four-year term as Cook County Sheriff.

On the Democratic side, incumbent Thomas J. Dart (in office since 2006) faces off with Noland Rivera, LaTonya Ruffin and Carmen Navarro Gercone. There are no Republican candidates on the ballot. Brad Sanderfur will run in the general election as a Libertarian.

EDITOR'S NOTE: According to a Wednesday report from the Chicago Tribune, Navarro Gercone was tossed off the ballot for the second time by an Illinois appellate court. The latest ruling states the candidate is "ineligible to run for sheriff because she failed to obtain a law enforcement certification that is now required for county sheriffs in Illinois under a controversial provision of a new state law." Navarro Gercone said she is appealing the decision. Patch has opted to run her questionnaire, which was turned in prior to the latest ruling, as her name already appears on ballots and due to the unknown outcome of the expected appeal. It is important to note, a Chicago Board of Elections spokesperson told the Tribune, notices will be placed at early voting sites and future polling sites informing voters that Navarro Gercone has been removed as a candidate, and that votes for her will not be counted.

Name: Carmen Navarro Gercone

Campaign Website: www.carmenforsheriff.com

Town of Residence: City of Chicago

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Family: I am a wife, mother to five, and grandmother to four beautiful children. My husband and I are proud of our family. Our children and grandchildren are Puerto Rican, African American, Irish, Italian, Mexican, and more, and we are even more diverse in our opinions.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Yes, many of my family members work in public service and in law enforcement. Husband, Michael Gercone, Sergeant

Education: I am a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Cook County Sheriff's Training Academy.

Occupation: Executive Clerk of Court Operations, Administration, and Investigations for the Clerk of the Circuit Court since Dec 1, 2020.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: N/A

Why are you seeking this office?

As a mother, I am terrified when my children are leaving the house, driving on our highways, or going downtown with their friends. Since the number of reported carjackings has become astronomical, I also worry every time my grandchildren are in the backseat of the car. I am a 26-year veteran of law enforcement. I began my career as a Deputy Sheriff and worked my way up the ranks at the Cook County Sheriff's Office to eventually lead one of the largest law enforcement departments in the State of Illinois. I am a graduate of the FBI National Academy, where I was trained in violence reduction tactics by experts from around the world. I have never sought public office before, but I felt that the policies and inaction by our current Sheriff were a main contributor to the lawlessness. I simply could no longer watch devastating news cycles without attempting to apply my unique personal and professional experiences to save lives and restore order in Cook County.

I am ready on day ONE to enact a plan to drastically reduce the violence we are experiencing.

The single most pressing issue facing Cook County is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most important issue to me is addressing the rampant violence plaguing our communities.

To begin, I will completely reform the electronic monitoring program to ensure violent offenders are no longer released back into our communities. Next, I will address the 65,000 felony warrants for offenders who have fled the criminal justice system. These individuals, many of whom have been convicted of violent crimes, are living with complete impunity in our communities due to Tom Dart's negligence and complete dereliction of his statutory obligations. These two steps alone will drastically reduce the violence and begin to ensure that there are consequences in the criminal justice system. Many individuals in the criminal justice system have been harmed or are suffering, and in turn, begin inflicting harm back onto their communities. Substance use disorders, mental illnesses, and the lack of resources for our youth are driving factors of criminal acts. More than 95% of those who spend time in jails and prisons will be released back into our communities, so it is incumbent upon those overseeing correctional institutions and pretrial release programs to provide targeted services to reduce the chances for further harm and system involvement. If elected Sheriff, I will restore all the programs that Sheriff Tom Dart has eliminated, including behavioral modification, drug treatment, education, mental health, maternal health, and job training. I will reopen the Sheriff’s Boot Camp for young offenders, and particularly focus on those involved with carjackings and first-time offenses. In addition to these measures, I will focus on assisting the businesses and industries who are facing extraordinary challenges due to the violence we are enduring, especially as they struggle to recover from the pandemic. They deserve a partner in the criminal justice system.

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

Tom Dart has been Sheriff for 16 years, and his administration is currently under Federal investigation for a massive ghost pay-rolling scheme with some of his top staff. He has also cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuits, has allowed 65,000 felony, criminal warrants to pile up, eliminated programs for our most vulnerable members of society, and inflicted his disastrous electronic monitoring program - which allows those convicted of murder and other horrendous charges back into our communities just hours after being arrested- onto the residents of Cook County. I have the institutional knowledge and understand the relationships between all of the stakeholders involved in the criminal justice system. I am ready on Day one.

If you are a challenger, what would you do differently than the incumbent?

I will be present. I will work to ensure that the Sheriff's office is meeting its statutory obligations, by supervising individuals on electronic monitoring and enforcing warrants. I will work with the training and Standards Board to provide better training for the officers and implement training for all personnel to help reduce costly litigation. Finally, I will create efficiencies by combining resources, centralizing units and equipment, and improving the use of technology.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

I am a lifelong advocate for victims and survivors of gender based violence. They deserve an office that will put them first. Whether it's by ensuring there is adequate staff to process and serve orders of protection, or an office that will take the lead and partner with the municipalities within our jurisdiction to provide training and resources for those impacted by it.

How would you address the increase in carjackings in Cook County, and what is your take on how the spike in carjackings has been handled so far?

There must be consequences in order to deter any offenders, or possible offenders. We must also recognize that this is a societal issue and a direct result of not investing in our communities of color. We failed to provide programs and resources that treat the entire family. We must work with our stakeholders and allow growth within the very community these offenders are victimizing. Trauma inflicts trauma.

If you gain this position, what accomplishment would define your term in office as a success?

If the citizens of Cook County learn and understand what the Cook County Sheriff could and should be doing for them, I have been successful. This level of accountability allows the citizens to remain an active part of protecting themselves by demanding and expecting, better service.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I will bring everyone to the table with me. The voters will be heard. I understand that diversity means absolutely nothing, if you don't have inclusion. I will work for everyone.