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Sheriff, Police Union Endorse Ben McAdams

The Greater Salt Lake Unified Police Federation and Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder announced this morning they’re endorsing Democrat Ben McAdams for Salt Lake County Mayor.  The support comes a week after Winder denounced McAdams’ opponent, Republican Mark Crockett’s jail services proposal.  

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder says the county does not need an autocratic leader, but rather a diplomatic one.

“Somebody that can come in here and continue the very hard work, Republican, Democrat, Municipal, County to figure out what’s the smart, cost-effective and criminal justice validated way to manage what is a complex issue," Winder says.

McAdams also received the endorsement of The Unified Police Federation, the law enforcement union for the greater Salt Lake area. He says he supports the criminal justice plan Salt Lake County council adopted this year to decrease, prevent and find alternatives to incarceration.

“It’s a well-thought-out-plan and I praise the work that’s been done and I want the law enforcement community and the social services community to know that I’ve got their back,” McAdams says.

Mark Crockett last week announced a plan to cut the county budget and reduce the number of repeat offenders in the community. He used as an example a program that would give lesser offenders cell-phones on which they’d receive -calls with encouraging messages.

Crockett told KUER that he supports the county’s current plan, which he helped craft as a member of the county council back in 2008. But he says the county should also look to the private sector for solutions.

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