Thomas Dart: 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: ChicagoWebsite: sherifftomdart.comTwitter: tomdartFacebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Cook County Sheriff Age: 56Family: Wife - Patricia Children - Tommy, Molly, Lauren, Allyson and ShannonOccupation: Cook County SheriffEducation: B.A. -- Providence College J.D. -- Loyola UniversityCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Cook County Sheriff Illinois State Representative Cook County Assistant State's AttorneyQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?I have spent my entire career crusading for social justice -- with a particular focus on criminal justice reform. I first ran for Sheriff and continue to be passionate about this job because it offers a unique opportunity to reform the system from within. I cherish the ability to lead by example and make progress each and every day towards creating a criminal justice system or which my children's generation can be proud.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 board and what would your priority be?Successfully brought Cook County Jail out of decades of a federal consent decree, with the jail emerging as a national model that others are attempting to replicate Led a campaign to reduce the jail population (from 11,000 to now under 6,000) and ensure that non-violent detainees can fight their cases from the community, saving millions of taxpayers dollars Introduced dozens of restorative justice programs to help non-violent detainees pursue meaningful and productive lives -- including carpentry classes, cooking classes, and more Led a national movement to address the shameful criminalization of mental illness, educating the public that Cook County Jail has emerged as the largest mental health institution in the country Launched and led a national coalition to eradicate the blight of human trafficking by addressing the demand side -- arresting johns while pursuing treatment and support for victims (instead of incarceration) Redefined the evictions process, introducing community counselors to help bridge the gaps for those being court-ordered to leave their apartments Brought hundreds of Sheriff's Police officers to help stem the gun violence epidemic in the West Side and South Side of Chicago Leading an awareness campaign to take on the opioid epidemic Doubled down on efforts to solve cold cases and missing persons cases, including identifying several of the unidentified victims of John Wayne Gacy and reconnecting families after decades Invested in community policing to establish a level of trust between neighborhoods and law enforcementWhat do you see as the biggest gap in solving the opioid crisis in your county? What can the sheriff's office do to help close the gap?Addressing the opioid crisis is a critical priority for me. Each day in Cook County Jail, I see the ramifications of this epidemic, as men and women come into my custody on the verge of overdosing. I am working actively to utilize my power to spread awareness and effect positive change on this issue. That includes: Opioid hotline -- Launched email hotline to get help for those suffering from addiction and their family members Public affairs campaign -- Introduced video series communicating the dangers of opioids and making clear that this epidemic has spread throughout all communities Naloxone -- Directed my office to increase accessibility of the life-saving naloxone, including to detainees as they discharge from Cook County Jail Mental health reform -- Getting the root of the problem working to increase access to mental health care to prevent as many vulnerable people as possible from self-medicating with opioids in lieu of treatment Drug Turn-In -- Founded Cook County Sheriff's Prescription Drug Take Back Program to implement a comprehensive pharmaceutical drug collection and disposal program to assist residents throughout Cook County with properly disposing of unused and unexpired prescription drugHow is the opioid crisis affecting other crimes in your county? What other crime trends are you noticing related to opioids and what can be done to prevent these crimes?Much of it starts with the ongoing eradication of mental health services in Chicago, which I have fought tooth and nail. When vulnerable people lack access to mental healthcare, we know for a fact that they will turn to self-medication. These days, that means heroin. Upon getting hooked on heroin, those individuals are infinitely more likely to turn to what I see as crimes of survival -- petty theft, prostitution, etc. -- in order to get their fix. That spurs a vicious cycle that all too often leads them to the doors of Cook County Jail and into my custody. There are countless detainees in my custody who even commit crimes on purpose because they know they'll end up jail where they get the treatment they need. I strongly believe that the criminalization of mental illness is an underreported but significant catalyst in the opioid crisis, and one that can only be addressed if we revitalize Cook County's broken mental health system.Describe your position regarding the allocation of resources in the sheriff's office. Are personnel allocated as they should be? Are there capital expense or other budgetary items that the office must address, and, if so, how do you propose to address them?Recently, the Sheriff's Office was mandated to lay off sworn officers due to the fiscal disaster the County finds itself in following the soda tax debacle. I fought this because of its lack of thoughtfulness and planning. On the other hand, I have put in place a strategic plan to reduce my head count wihtout jeopardizing public safety. It involves sustained reductions this year which I believe will result in 150-200 less employees on the conservative side. Otherwise, a top priority of mine is to enhance the level of accountability among officers at Cook County Jail. We have an epidemic of officers abusing their sick time, particularly during holidays. This leaves me short-staffed and often forced to lock down the jail in order to protect the safety of the officers who show up as well as inmates. It also costs Cook County taxpayers millions of dollars in overtime payouts. I will continue fighting every day to force the County to give me the tools to address this problem.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?At a time where the law enforcement community is viewed in a largely negative light, I am pursuing the opportunity to infuse a sense of social justice into the second largest Sheriff's Office in the country. Additionally, I have introduced a hybrid community policing model in one of Chicago's most violent zip coes. The results have been impressive.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Cardinal Cupich. His passion for social justice and supporting the most vulnerable among us has been a blessing for Chicago.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My dad demonstrated the importance of putting fatherhood first and career second. I take try to act on those values every day.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Nothing! I have an incredible family and a job which offers me an opportunity to make a genuine difference.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I loved history because it introduced me to a diverse array of leadership styles from both past and present.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I try to teach my kids to pursue a path that provides them with passion and fulfillment. Money is secondary.