May 8, 2014

On Sunday, MPAC hosted its first L.A. County Election Forum at the Islamic Center of Southern California with candidates for L.A. Sheriff. Moderator Salam Al-Marayati, MPAC President, talked about the importance of being civically engaged and voting, especially with regards to issues important to Muslim Angelenos.

The candidates for LA County Sheriff that came were Todd Rogers, an Assistant Sheriff for L.A. County, and Lou Vince, a Senior Detective Supervisor for the Los Angeles Police Department. Todd Rogers also holds the position of Mayor of Lakewood in addition to his duties as Assistant Sheriff for L.A. County. He shared how he helped the previous L.A. County Sheriff, Lee Baca, to reform the Sheriff’s office from within by welcoming people of all religions into the L.A. County Sheriff Department. He also talked about how the deputies need to be accountable, including being fired if they use excessive force.

Lou Vince, who is a Senior Detective Supervisor with the LAPD, stressed his belief in community-based policing, saying “No amount of policing will fix a problem that starts with the family.” He talked about how you must have people in law enforcement, especially in the jails, who want to be there. He quoted Robert Kennedy, who said, “Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on.” After calling for the professionalizion of the jail system, he said cameras should be present in 100 percent of the jails.

Rory Stack, a representative for L.A. Board of Supervisors candidate Pamela Ulich, shared the candidate’s belief that money is used as a barrier to keep average people from getting involved in the election. Ulich currently serves on the Malibu City Council and as Mayor of Malibu.

Robert Farrell, a former member of the L.A. City Council, spoke on behalf of L.A. Board of Supervisors candidate Dr. George McKenna. He talked about how Dr. McKenna has been an educator for over 50 years, who believes more funds should be allocated for education in L.A. County and how those funds should be distributed equitably.