Endorsement for Bergen County Sheriff Election Nov.6

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOVEMBER 2, 2018

(EXPIRES 11/7/18)

The Bergen County Immigrant Strategy Group, a grass roots citizen organization affiliated with the New Jersey Alliance For Immigrant Justice, has endorsed Anthony Cureton (D), for the Office of Bergen County Sheriff.

After participating in the only Sheriff debate before election day, we believe that Mr. Cureton deserves your vote on Nov. 6 for the following reasons:

• -28 years of law enforcement experience, including law librarian at the jail
• -President Bergen Co. NAACP
• -Familiar with the Department personnel, and issues within the Department
• -Recognizes that addiction is a disease, and favors treatment and support over incarceration
• -Wants no county or local law enforcement involvement with ICE beyond the County Jail bed contract
• -Views immigrant detainees as civil, not criminal inmates, and supports services and improvements in conditions at the jail
• -Believes the ICE contract revenue should be spent on best services to the civil detainees before re-purposed within the Department
• -Recognizes that the police serve a civilian population, and community policing should be the ethos of the Department, and resists militarization of the Sheriff Dept.
• -Has the temperament and experience to heal divisions within the Department caused by the merger with the BC Police and the racist remarks of former Chief Saudino

Although we have disagreements with Mr.Cureton on specific issues, such as contact visits for civilian detainees, we see him as responsive to community input, and look forward to developing a partnership to provide volunteer services for the inmates at the jail. We expect him to be an independent voice within the County Government, and resist political influence.

The Bergen County Immigrant Strategy Group is dedicated to advocating for the civil detainees in the jail, the documented and undocumented immigrants in Bergen County, and the passage of fair and welcoming resolutions and police directives for immigrants in all 70 municipalities in Bergen County.

For more information, please contact Chairperson Lawrence White

lawrenceswhite@gmail.com