Joseph "Guy" BakerWhat is/was your profession? Are you now retired?I began my career in law enforcement as a correctional officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in 1994, soon after graduating from High School.I began my career with the Federal Government with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in May 1996. In 1998, I transferred to the United States Border Patrol. I was promoted to Supervisory BP agent and worked as a Supervisor at the Falfurrias and Hebbronville stations.I was transferred to Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) in 2010 as a Special Agent. I investigated various local, state, and federal crimes.I presented and supervised hundreds of cases for prosecution to various United States Attorney's Offices and District Attorneys' offices in Hidalgo and Cameron counties.During my time with HSI, I held several supervisory positions, including Program Manager and Group Supervisor. I also served as commander of the Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force. I have successfully investigated cases all over the United States and the world.My formal education includes a bachelor's degree in Computer Science with an emphasis in forensics. I am a Computer Forensic Analyst and a Texas Peace Officer. I retired in 2021 to stay close to my family.What relevant experience can you bring to office?After graduating high school, I have held a law enforcement position since 1994. I have served as a correctional officer in the state and federal departments. The Sheriff is responsible for the Jim Wells County Jail. My past experience ensures I have the knowledge and skill set necessary to be an effective administrator for the jail and provide the proper oversight lacking with the current Sheriff.I was an agent and supervisor with the United States Border Patrol, which gave me years of experience patrolling Jim Wells, Duval, Jim Hogg, and Brooks counties.I transferred to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in 2010, where I moved to the Rio Grande Valley and worked in Brownsville. Before my retirement, I served as a Special Agent, Group Supervisor, Program Manager, and Task Force Commander. I was not only a Criminal Investigator but also a Computer Forensic Analyst for over 17 local, state, and federal agencies.As an agent, I investigated cases throughout the United States and the world. As the Commander of the RGV Child Exploitation Task Force, I supervised the investigation and prosecution of hundreds of cases for both the United States Attorney's Office and the local District Attorneys' offices.How have your life experiences prepared you for this position?My entire adult life has been spent in law enforcement, preparing me to serve as Sheriff for Jim Wells County. I have served in many supervisory positions and have successfully managed personnel in a positive and constructive manner, ensuring accountability.Which problems would you address on your first day in office?Staffing issues are a major concern at this point at the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Office. Patrol Deputies are at a dangerously low level. With the current administration, only half of Jim Wells County has patrol units.Premont, La Gloria, Orange Grove, Sandia, Tecalote, Loma Linda, and San Diego are unprotected. If you call 911 during an emergency, law enforcement could take an hour to respond. This is unacceptable. Jim Wells County deserves better from their Sheriff.The patrol unit is only half-staffed, exacerbating this problem. Many deputies have left due to low morale, which is a direct result of poor leadership.The jail has problems that need to be addressed. At least four inmates have escaped, one of them last week. The Sheriff's Department reported that it was only for "moments," but it was at least 15 minutes, possibly more. The public was at risk the second the inmate escaped.This escape would have never happened if the proper policies were in place and enforced. After the first escape, the Sheriff should have investigated and taken action to ensure the public's safety. inmate escapes can become dangerous very quickly.What do you see as long-term issues which need to be addressed throughout your time in office?The Sheriff is responsible for ensuring the staff has the tools and training to do their jobs effectively. The Sheriff's Department should use the drug money seized to upgrade equipment and pay for enforcement operations.The jail staff needs upgraded equipment, and dilapidated jail cells need to be repaired and put into use. The jail also needs camera and security upgrades to prevent further escapes.Deputies need upgraded body armor and other equipment. Patrol vehicles must be adequately maintained, creating significant issues if not addressed soon.There is no collaboration between the Sheriff's Office, local school districts, or any other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in the area. Lack of collaboration and cooperation is particularly concerning when addressing the safety of our schools. We need to leverage all our resources to protect our children.The community has no avenue to share their concerns with the Sheriff, which is a huge issue. A Sheriff should make himself available to those who appointed him to that office.What is local government doing well right now that needs to be expanded further?The cattle program works well, as far as I can tell. However, it should be expanded not only to identify who to contact regarding a particular ranch. Identifying numbers should be collected and placed into a database ready to be entered into the NCIC national database immediately if any equipment is missing or stolen. Maintaining this database will increase the chances of recovery of any stolen equipment.____________________________________Daniel BuenoWhat is/was your profession? Are you now retired?For the last 45+ years I have served as a Texas Peace Officer. I currently hold the highest certification offered by TCOLE, a Master Peace Officer Certification with over 2800 hours of continuous education and a Law Enforcement Instructor Certification. I am current on the advisory committee for Sheriffs Association of Texas on the training advisory board, Jail advisory board and TCOLE advisory training committee. I also worked for the Alice Police Department for 35 years. I retired, and went to work for the Constables Office Pct. 1 and then ran for Sheriff in 2016. I am currently running for my 3rd consecutive term.What relevant experience can you bring to office?The more than 45 years as a law enforcement officer has given me the experience to continue doing the work necessary to keep our community safe. Over those years, I served in just about every capacity someone could serve in law enforcement including patrolman, instructor, supervisor, director and Chief of a City as well as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for the County as Sheriff.How have your life experiences prepared you for this position?Growing up and living in a community like Jim Wells, I think my life experiences have been instrumental in guiding me to make the necessary and sometimes difficult decisions. Serving 25 years on a school board and knowing the value of education and believing in our children is a life experience that has been a guiding principle for how I look at things each day.What do you see as long-term issues which need to be addressed throughout your time in office?Its no secret that our County needs to build a new jail facility. However, it must be planned out and thoroughly looked at because the citizens of Jim Wells ultimately pay the price for it by means of a bond election. We have to be able to show everyone the need and then begin the process. We started the process in 2021, however, it was tabled and it needs to be revisited again. We also need to look at our retention of officers. Economics plays a big part and officers arent willing to come and work and risk their lives when they can go a few miles to another city and make hundreds or even thousands of dollars more.What is local government doing well right now that needs to be expanded further?The cooperation and the work between the county offices is excellent and when we expand on this and find places to save, it frees up funds for other projects. Through the combined efforts of our various elected and appointed officials, we can continue to grow and hopefully bring some new industries into the County.