I ask for your support in running for Travis County Constable Precinct 3 in the March 1st Democratic Primary. The seat will be open, as the current Constable has chosen to run for another office.

How do you know I'm the right candidate for the job? Because I have done it before, and I've done it well. I served as Constable, Precinct 5 for ten years (1982-92). In addition, I served as Chief Deputy under two Constables (Precinct 3, 2001-12).

The job of an elected official is to ensure that government works-that it is responsive to the changing needs of the community. Elected officials cannot do their jobs effectively by simply showing up and doing what's always been done. You have a right to expect more from your elected officials. You have a right to expect them to be innovative in their approach and effective in their results without marginalizing any part of the community.

I have spent my career doing what it takes to make government work. When you elect me, you elect a proven leader, innovator and activist at making government work. The accomplishments of which I'm most proud are highlighted below:

Constable, Precinct 5

• Conceived of and established the Family Unit to expedite cases involving family violence, child abuse, and failure to pay child support in Travis County (still in operation).
• Ended a county policy that charged a fee to those seeking protective orders due to spouse/partner abuse, and instituted one in which the fee was paid by the recipient.
• Virtually eliminated a longstanding backlog and reduced the turnaround time for serving civil process by half by adopting new computer technology instead of using slow, outdated county mainframes.

Chief Deputy, Precinct 3

• Initiated and implemented the Travis County Counterfeit Motor Vehicle Inspection Program. 90% of the air pollution from motor vehicles in Travis County is caused by 10% of the vehicles, so finding those vehicles and stopping their emissions must be a priority. I put together a team to investigate inspection stations suspected of falsifying emissions test results or counterfeiting inspection stickers. Our investigations led to the arrest and prosecution of those who committed these crimes. Press coverage put others on notice as well, resulting in a measurable decrease in suspicious emissions test activity.
• Precinct 3's investigations into suspicious emissions test results revealed that these crimes were committed by both small, independent operators and organized crime rings. During several of the team's investigations, the team uncovered evidence of other crimes, including human trafficking, stolen vehicles, and the manufacture of fake driver's licenses. Precinct 3 officers worked with DPS, Homeland Security, Secret Service and other counterfeit vehicle inspection teams in Dallas and Houston to stop these illegal operations.
• Led the effort to equip all Travis County Constable patrol cars with laptops and video cameras.
• Ensured Precinct 3 deputies were on the scene to assist first responders at all major floods, fires, and ice storms. Precinct 3 deputies won an award from the 100 Club in 2002 for rescuing 34 people in one night from Onion Creek floodwaters.
• Greatly increased the collection of Class C misdemeanor fines and fees by using more efficient computer systems, accepting payment by credit card, and placing holds on driver's license renewals until fees were paid, which brought needed cost savings to Travis County.

Lately we have settled for electing those who simply show up and maintain the status quo. I don't do that. I never have, and I never will. We are here to solve problems, not to become part of the problem.

As Constable of Precinct 3, I pledge to:

• Reestablish the Counterfeit Motor Vehicle Inspection Program as an investigative unit to target fraudulent emissions testing. This will be my top priority. We must protect our air quality if we want our county to be a healthy place to live. Under the current constable, the Counterfeit Motor Vehicle Inspection Program is being used primarily to generate revenue from tickets for expired license plates.
• Require deputies to wear body cams at all times when on duty. Precinct 3 deputies currently have dash cams, but not body cams. The public's faith in the police is at an all-time low in America. There are many reasons for this, and much can be done to improve the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the public. We must ensure that both individuals and law enforcement officers are protected-individuals from the use of excessive force, and officers from false allegations of such. The more transparent our actions are, the better our relationship will be with our community. Body cams cannot prevent incidents from occurring, but they are the best tools we have to help us understand the facts when an incident does occur. We can provide every Precinct 3 deputy with a body cam using the existing budget.

I need your help to make these things happen. Join me---together we can keep Travis County the best place to live in Texas!

Stacy