Note: Candidates were invited to submit a statement of up to 500 words. The statements have not been fact-checked or edited for spelling, punctuation or grammar.

Fellow citizens of Antioch I’m prepared to tackle the crime problems that have plagued Antioch for far too long. As a lieutenant and 22 year law enforcement veteran, I’ve learned there are no easy answers or quick fixes to solving crime problems and quality of life issues.

We already know tax dollars are scarce, so we have been forced to do more with less and law enforcement is no different. I fully support the police department’s continuous efforts to reach out to the community. Making a connection with the community is priceless. There are policing techniques available that are inexpensive and require no more effort than anything else. Having accurate, timely information from the community can lead to improved response times and sometimes even prevent crimes from occurring. The strength of our community in Antioch, and the most effective way to reduce crime, is through legitimate community involvement. With our economy near historic lows, active community involvement is no longer a luxury for more affluent communities. We, as a community, parents, police, educators, elected officials, and of course, community leaders, have to get involved in finding solutions. We don’t have a choice. There have been 47 positions eliminated at the Antioch Police Department through layoffs and attrition, so the police cannot do it alone. City Hall is down to 50 employees serving a community of 102,000 residents, which deeply concerns me. Our economic forecasts indicate these positions will not be filled anytime soon.

The value and importance of public education is extremely important to me, it saved my life and provided me with opportunities I didn’t even know were available to me. Today, I serve as a School Board Member for the Antioch Unified School District, trying to make sure Antioch kids are afforded the same opportunities that were presented to me. Community involvement isn’t something I just study, I try and live it. I have firsthand experience meeting with groups such as Neighbors for Change and started the first DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in another community. More and more police departments have adopted Community Oriented Policing and Problem-Solving as a philosophy. In short, if you want to know how to reduce crime and improve quality of life, ask the citizens who live in the area. What do the citizens see as the top problems? I also support our police department’s efforts to reach out to the youth with programs such as the Police Activities League and the award winning Youth Intervention Network founded by Iris Archuleta and Police Chief Jim Hyde where I serve on the Executive board; this is an excellent example of working with the community to solve problems. We must support these avenues for continuous and open communication with our citizens, not the old style top-down approach that so often doesn’t involve the people who are affected by the decisions.

With my 22 years in Law Enforcement and a personal commitment to community service and Education, I am the right candidate, at the right time, for Antioch. It is time to bring all Antioch City Departments into alignment with a new vision of Community Oriented Leadership.

I ask for your vote in November.

Please feel free to contact me. (925) 437-4300

Harperforantiochcitycouncil@gmail.com