Steve O. Simpson*

Occupaton: Sheriff, Loudoun County.

Education: Police science course work, Northern Virginia Community College, FBI Academy; Virginia Sheriffs' Institute.

Elected offices/civic activities: Member, American Legion, Loyal Order of Moose, N.Va. Regional Gang Task Force, Regional Chiefs & Sheriffs Committee, American Jail Assn., Intl. Assn. of Chiefs of Police, National Sheriffs' Assn. highway safety committee, Virginia Sheriffs' Assn. board of directors; past president, Loudoun Deputy Sheriffs' Assn. and N.Va. Criminal Justice Academy board; past chairman, Council of Governments correction chiefs committee.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why should voters elect you?

A: Having served as Sheriff for 12 years, faced with Homeland Security threats, snipers, gangs and unprecedented growth, my leadership and commitment are clearly illustrated.

Q: What do you think is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction?

A: Loudoun County has an ever-present gang threat that jeopardizes the safety and sanctity of our communities. Gangs solicit or force membership of children and may harm or kill those that choose not to participate. Although most gang members encountered are legal residents, those that are not pose additional challenges and require additional time and resources. Successfully combating this problem requires the combined efforts of local, state and federal authorities and, most importantly, community involvement, and efforts must include not only enforcement, but also intervention, diversion and awareness education to be effective.

Q: What other challenges do you think the sheriff's office will face over the next four years, and how will you meet those challenges?

A: The major challenges can be summarized as follows: Civil unrest due to immigration, gangs, homeland security, traffic, and our ability to continue to attract and retain quality employees. 1. Civil unrest over immigration issues will continue to challenge local law enforcement and will tax time, resources, and jail space. I will continue to work with elected leaders and federal authorities to determine effective strategies, obtain funding and develop legislation that will provide the necessary guidance and tools for deputies to deal with the problems in a manner that the community expects. 2. There is a perception that all gang members are illegal immigrants and that is just not the case; in fact, it has been our experience that only about 1 in 20 gang members that we encounter are found to be illegally here. That not only means that the solution to gang problems is much more complex that just deporting illegal aliens, but also means that our children are the ones being recruited for membership. We need to continue to work with the schools and community groups to ensure intervention and diversion strategies are in place and to proactively attack gangs through our gang unit and regional task force efforts. 3. The threat of terrorism, particularly given our proximity to Washington D.C., continues to be a substantial concern. Critical facilities have been identified and security and response plans implemented. Deputies attend continuing training in threat recognition and disaster response and have been issued personal protective gear. A mobile command vehicle has been placed in service for on-site command, control and communications. Over the next few years, I hope to improve regional intelligence sharing and threat analysis, enhance regional communications as well as refine strategies for regional resource sharing. 4. The most frequent complaint received in my office involves traffic. Typically, these complaints have detailed neighborhood speeding and right-of-way violations but have expanded to more aggressive and dangerous activity as congestion has worsened. During my tenure, I created a traffic safety unit that targets traffic issues including aggressive driving, DUI, and truck safety enforcement as well as coordination with VDOT on roadway safety improvements. I also serve on the National Sheriff’s Association Highway Safety Committee, a group that attempts to identify trends and problems and develop innovative and unique law enforcement responses. The committee also provides a regional perspective and opportunity to coordinate plans and strategies to enhance traffic safety. I will continue to have traffic safety as a priority and coordinate with our elected officials for traffic safety legislation that will save lives and reduce injuries. 5. Recruiting and retaining the high quality of personnel that are employed by the Sheriff’s Office is imperative to maintaining a professional force. Although we can often identify qualified applicants that desire to work in Loudoun, in many cases these prospective candidates cannot afford to move into the area. This compounds the problem that already exists with current deputies that cannot afford housing in the county. I have been, and will continue to try to develop programs that will alleviate this issue through such measures as benefits enhancements, housing programs, moving expense assistance or other incentives to reduce the financial burden.

Q: What will you do to ensure that the county's crime-fighting resources keep pace with population growth?

A: Each year, I develop a budget that forecasts personnel and equipment needs based on calls for service, response times, jail population, county population projections and many other indicators. With the competing needs of other county agencies and the schools, the Sheriff’s Office never receives all the resources it requires. When available, grants are utilized to supplement our needs and I will continue to aggressively pursue grant opportunities. Asset forfeiture, which is a program that redirects the proceeds of illegal activity to law enforcement uses, is another means used to obtain resources. And to further support provided services, programs that effectively work as “force multipliers” have been implemented. To name a few, community policing, Neighborhood Watch, and the Auxiliary Deputy programs are great examples of involving the citizenry in enhancing the safety and security of neighborhoods. I am also further developing this approach through community based Sheriff’s stations, the first of which opened in Dulles South last Spring, with three more in various stages of design and development. Because of our location near the nation’s capital, and because criminals don’t recognize jurisdictional boundaries, I have also strived to improve regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and communications capabilities that will further enhance our ability to deal with crime and to effectively respond to major incidents or disasters should they occur.

Q: What is the appropriate role for the sheriff's office in enforcement of federal immigration laws, and how do you view the current debate in Loudoun on the issue of illegal immigration?

A: First and foremost, immigration law is a federal responsibility. Unfortunately, the federal government has not met their obligations and local authorities are left to deal with the issues without necessary legal authority or adequate resources. It must be understood that sheriff and police agencies are restricted by law in immigration matters; in fact, status as an illegal immigrant is a violation of federal civil law that we cannot enforce. Until and unless immigration enforcement powers are granted to local law enforcement, deputies can only investigate immigration status when someone is identified through their criminal conduct. And even if our agency participates in the 287(g) program, deputies will continue to be limited in what action they can take if an individual is identified as being here illegally. It must also be noted that this is an additional workload for which the Sheriff’s Office has not received any additional funding or deputies and, without that support, may well diminish our ability to provide other critical services. That said, debate and discussion are necessary to develop effective strategies to deal with this complex issue. One has to only look around Northern Virginia to see the struggles and divisiveness that this issue portends. I will continue to participate in trying to develop successful solutions as well as aggressively pursue the criminal violations I can legally enforce while working cooperatively with federal authorities to deport those found here illegally.

Your Thoughts...

Results of a county survey indicate 92 percent of Loudoun residents think highly of the county's quality of life. How do you rank it?