Jason Patt: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: WaukeganWebsite: www.JasonPattforSheriff.comOffice sought: Lake County Sheriff Age: 36Family: Proud father of a 4-year old daughterOccupation: Investigator with the Lake County Coroner's OfficeEducation: Department of Defense Police Academy, State of Illinois Corrections Academy, State of Illinois certified evidence technician, accident investigator, hostage/crisis negotiator, lead homicide investigator, narcotics investigator and Handcuff Instructor. John Reid Interviews and Interrogations, and Wayne State University Medicolegal Death Investigations. Certificates: close quarter handgun skills, high-risk warrant service, response to terrorism, trends in drug abuse, latent print analysis, blood spatter analysis, forensic entomology, bullet trajectory analysis, arson investigations, suicide prevention, critical incident management, cold case homicides, child death investigations, officer involved shootings, buried body recovery, and tactical traffic stops. Certified with US Air Marshall's to Fly Armed, Military Police AcademyCivic involvement: I helped start and run the Lake County satellite location for SafeKids Illinois, where I volunteered to teach the citizens of Lake County how to keep their children safe, and how to properly install child safety seats. I am also a lifetime member of the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)Elected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers There have been varying reports about morale problems among some groups within the rank and file. How would you characterize morale in the office and what steps will you take to address it if elected?Morale is at an all-time low at the Sheriff's Office. Mr. Curran has become a tyrant who believes loyalty to himself is more important than loyalty to the taxpayers, the LCSO employees, and the Office. Mr. Curran has surrounded himself with "Yes" men who never dare give an opposing opinion. There is no doubt why the employees are scared and morale has hit rock bottom. I will create a positive atmosphere based on integrity, respect, and teamwork. There's no place for politics in the Lake County Sheriff's office.Do you see a need to focus available resources on a particular type of crime in the unincorporated areas of county and in the towns that contract for law enforcement service?As the police agency for unincorporated Lake County and villages who have contracted with us, I will make sure tax dollars are spent on pursuing drug dealers and gang members, on being visible in neighborhoods to prevent property crimes, and on placing resource officers in schools to protect our children. Mr. Curran spends your tax dollars on luxury accommodations at several out-of-state conferences each year, new uniform shirts (when the old shirts were functional, preferred, and did not create a safety concern), and settlements on lawsuits filed against him for discrimination and wrongful deaths in the jail.If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the office and what would your priority be?I bring 18 years of law enforcement experience to this job. I have dedicated my entire adult life to serving our country and the citizens of Lake County. I am a Navy veteran with combat experience (Operation Iraqi Freedom). I worked in the county jail and as a federal officer on the street. I have led hundreds of death investigations. Mr. Curran claims to have law enforcement experience; however, he has no experience that wasn't from behind a desk or in a courtroom. My priority is to install fiscal responsibility in the office while reallocating funds to hire more officers.What is your assessment of the marine unit and do you believe it would require more resources with upcoming new changes in the boating laws? What would they be?The Sheriff's Office Marine Unit is severely understaffed and in need of a complete overhaul. The Sheriff's Office is the primary police agency for the Chain of Lakes, many inland lakes, and Lake Michigan. Although the Illinois DNR and Coast Guard assist the Sheriff's Office, their response time to an emergency is often an unacceptable 60 minutes or more. The new boating laws will place more financial and personnel strains on the skeleton crew that Mr. Curran has working in this vital unit. I will hire more part-time officers to provide support while reviewing and revising all policy and procedures.Should the sheriff's office aggressively pursue contracts for law enforcement service with smaller municipalities? Why or why not?I would examine each opportunity to pursue contracts individually to determine its value to the Office and the citizens of Lake County. There are some municipalities where it would make sense both fiscally, as well as operationally, to provide services but others where it may not. I will keep all options on the table and will work with any local agency that needs our assistance.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I believe that the employees of the Lake County Sheriff's Office are its greatest asset. The morale and mental health of the employees are extremely important to me. In order to perform at their best, we need our law enforcement officers to have the right state of mind to safely serve and protect the citizens of Lake County. I believe that having a respectful, professional, and supportive environment will reduce the stress of the employees which in turn leads to higher productivity, greater Officer morale, and an overall safer and healthier community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Admiral Michelle Howard: First woman and African-American to become a four-star Navy Admiral, first African-American woman to be a three-star officer and command a ship.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?True success is achieved through hard work, dedication, and perseverance.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have run for Sheriff four years ago in order to prevent the mistreatment of LCSO employees and save millions in wasted tax dollars.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Communications was my favorite subject. It has helped me interact with people from diverse backgrounds, along with sharpening my interview and interrogation skills.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Live by the golden rule, and treat people the way you would like to be treated.