Davis County Criminal Justice Leaders Support the Reelection of Commissioner Lorene Kamalu

To:  Davis County Delegates and Citizens

From:  Kelly Sparks – Davis County Sheriff;

Todd Utzinger – Davis County Public Defender Coordinator;    

              Patty Fox – Davis County Pretrial Services Coordinator;   

              Troy Rawlings – Davis County Attorney

Davis County Commissioner Lorene Kamalu has a Master of Public Administration Degree, but more importantly she actually is a master at public administration. Working with Commissioner Kamalu regularly on significant issues related to criminal justice, public safety, budgets, human resources, mental health, homelessness and a plethora of related items puts us in a position to know. Lorene Kamalu has become a critical go-to working partner for each of us in her 3 plus years of dedicated full-time service to Davis County. Each of our agencies and therefore you, your family and Davis County is better due to the efforts of Commissioner Kamalu. It is important to each of us that you are made aware of this.

Lorene clearly believes in constitutionally based public safety. She works with us continually to ensure a criminal justices system that holds individuals accountable in the context of working to positively impact lives (victims, defendants, families, and the community} while promoting your safety. Commissioner Kamalu gets it. She understands the balance needed to work with each of our agencies, having very differing yet critical pieces of the puzzle, in protecting your safety and your constitutional rights. It's a remarkable tribute to her skill set and efforts that all 4 of us, having in certain ways adversarial mandates, are equally impressed and support Lorene in continuing the work we are doing together.

An example: Commissioner Kamalu beat the Utah State Legislature to the punch (they passed enabling legislation this year} by establishing a Davis County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council {CJCC} two years ago. The CJCC, which she very capably chairs, has over 20 relevant participating members such as police chiefs, the judiciary, adult probation and parole, mental health and more! The resulting coordination of efforts saves taxpayer dollars by avoiding duplication of services while at the same time promoting access to public and private programs. The 2022 legislature just passed a law requiring all counties to create similar councils.

This letter of support would be even longer if we listed all of the ways Lorene Kamalu has assisted our agencies and this community. Please review her website including the "Commission Assignments" page and you will see a list of other Boards and Committees on which she has become an integral educated insightful leader. These include the Children's Justice Center, Safe Harbor Crisis Center, Coalition for Abuse Prevention of the Elderly, Utah Pretrial Release & Supervision and Utah Indigent Defense Commission. Lorene's work on each of these entities (and more) has been significantly beneficial to Davis County and brings respect, dignity and honor to all of us individually and collectively.

In summary, Lorene Kamalu cares. She works full time for you. She is educated and puts that knowledge into practice in productive rather than destructive ways. She instills confidence in agency leadership. She is dedicated to making Davis County a better place for her family and yours. She strives to be fully informed on issues and has sound opinions based on study and research. Lorene has courage and will stand up for what she believes is best and right for the people of Davis County. She has good judgment and offers solid advice and suggestions based on best practices.

We will be grateful if you reelect Lorene Kamalu to continue the work she has been engaged in with professionalism and fidelity. We believe she has performed as those who voted for her in 2018 expected, that she has earned your 2022 vote and will continue to do so.

Thanks for your time, judgment and service.