Wanda Younger: Why you should vote for me

Last week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the June 20 Democratic primary to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.

Below is the unedited response from Wanda Younger, candidate for Arlington County Sheriff.

I retired from the Arlington Sheriff’s Office in 2020 as a Lieutenant and Director of Pretrial Services with 31 years of ethical service. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration (earned with highest honors) with numerous advanced leadership training to include training through the F.B.I. and International Association of Chiefs of Police.

I have been an Arlingtonian for nearly 30 years, and I care deeply about our community. My platform is comprehensive and for the past four months I have spear-headed specific solution sets to target three issues: detainee health, community safety, and Sheriff’s Office staff retention and employment practices.

With regard to detainee health, I have studied the protocols and standard of care in our local emergency rooms; these are the gold standard. I will work with our County Board and State Legislators to provide mental health care and medical services to our detainees staffed with physicians and support staff live, onsite 24 hours a day. This model emulates the best practices in our emergency rooms and can be the standard of care within our detention facility.

The purchase of 10 biometric units for $10,000 per annum is simply not enough logistically nor operationally. The biometric units are alert devices only akin to the monitors placed on a patient in the emergency room – human intervention is required and must be onsite to handle the response to any alerts.

With regard to community safety, I will reinvigorate the Auxiliary Deputy Sheriff program to assist in providing positive mentorship to our youth within the Arlington public schools and increase both community and school safety. There is a middle ground between private security officers and school resource officers – and that viable middle ground is trained, vetted, polygraphed Auxiliary Deputies. This Auxiliary force will be able to free full-time deputies who can then assist the Arlington County Police Department with community policing functions.

With regard to the employment practices of our Sheriff’s Deputies, I will completely revamp the premise of the employer-employee contract, doing away with the old and antiquated at-will employment of our deputies. This at-will employment of our deputies goes against all modern public policies, stifles innovation and dissention, and prevents the reporting of breaches of our standard operating procedures.

I have put out short, concise videos on my social media (www.wandaforsheriff.com) to address these solutions and provide an extensive information base and reasonings for Arlington voters. I have addressed the solution sets for school safety, which as a mother and grandmother, I find troubling. Children are scared to go into the bathrooms in some of our high schools, fearing assault. I have focused on the mental health crisis here in Arlington, which I fuse with detainee health issues. Also, I have addressed the issues of employment practices within the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff is not simply a caretaker of the jail and court as the Acting Sheriff believes. The Sheriff is not just a cop. She is a rehabilitator, a caretaker, and most importantly – a policy maker. Being a self-limiting Sheriff restricts the role of the Sheriff’s Office and demeans the historical context of this Constitutional Office. The Sheriff is the highest Law Enforcement Officer of the Constitution and is responsible for the Constitutional Rights of every citizen. True fundamental change to policies requires the re-thinking of the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office from the ground up.

In summary, the key differences between the other candidates and myself are that we have fundamental differences in education, experience, ethics, and worldview. I have the solution sets to make the lives of the community, Sheriff’s Office staff, and detainees better.

It’s time for Real Progress in Arlington!