A Strong Vision Rooted in
Reform, Respect, and Results
“This is not just about law enforcement, it is also about life enforcement.”
Eric Strong is not running to manage the status quo. He is running to change it. His journey is not about chasing power it is about having the power to fix what is broken and create change. Eric has always believed that protecting people means earning their trust; it means collaboration, unity; and it means being willing to listen.
His mission is built on the belief that public safety and public trust go hand in hand. That means standing up to broken systems, investing in smarter strategies, and restoring integrity at every level of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Platform Issues:
Ending Corruption, Building Trust
For too long, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department has protected its own instead of protecting the public. Deputy gangs, a broken Internal Affairs system, and a culture of silence have allowed misconduct to thrive while eroding trust in every corner of our county.
As Sheriff, Eric Strong — with 32 years of experience across four agencies — will end deputy gangs once and for all, require every deputy to complete crisis intervention and de-escalation training, and make Internal Affairs fully independent. Use-of-force will be tracked, reviewed, and subject to public oversight.
The number one reason Angelenos don’t trust the Sheriff’s Department is its lack of accountability. The Sheriff has the power to change that. Eric Strong will use it.
Care, Not Cuffs
Too many Angelenos in crisis are met with handcuffs and force instead of care. For decades, our jails have been the largest mental health facilities in the county — a moral and public safety failure.
As Sheriff, Eric Strong will change that. Every deputy will be certified in crisis intervention, trauma-informed response, and addiction awareness. He will partner with clinics, recovery organizations, and mobile crisis teams so that addiction and mental illness are treated as health challenges — not crimes.
Co-response models with deputies, clinicians, and peer coaches will be expanded to reduce injury, trauma, and repeat crises. For nonviolent cases, deputies will be required to direct people to diversion programs or sobering centers instead of jail. Every step of this work will be tracked and publicly reported so communities can see real progress in replacing punishment with care.
Because real public safety starts with healthy communities.
Immigration Is Not Our Job
Public safety depends on trust — and that trust disappears when law enforcement is used to target immigrant communities. Immigration enforcement is the federal government’s job, not the Sheriff’s Department’s. As Sheriff, Eric Strong will keep the focus where it belongs: on violent crime and real threats to our neighborhoods, not on families, workers, or status.
Eric will make it clear: immigration status alone will never be a reason for detention or enforcement. Deputies will not hold people past their lawful release date, participate in ICE raids, or waste resources on workplace sweeps. Cooperation with federal immigration authorities will only occur when required by law, such as honoring a judge’s warrant.
Transparency will be the standard. Policies will be public, reviewed openly, and reinforced through deputy training, partnerships with immigrant-rights organizations, and multilingual forums across the county. No one should ever be afraid to report a crime, seek help, or call for protection because of their immigration status.
Breaking the Jail Cycle
Jail should not be a revolving door — yet too often, people struggling with addiction, homelessness, non diagnosed mental illness, or trauma are cycled through the system without real solutions.
Within the first month of taking office, Sheriff-Elect Eric Strong will launch the Outcome-Based Diversion™ (OBD) Pilot Program, a forward-thinking initiative designed to transform how Los Angeles County responds to crisis, behavioral health and low-level crime related to addiction and mental illness.
OBD is built on a simple principle: when behavior is driven by illness, instability, or desperation, care is often more effective than custody. The program allows deputies to exercise discretionary authority at the point of contact — identifying eligible individuals who can safely bypass jail and instead be connected directly to stabilization, treatment, and recovery services.
Rather than process another booking, deputies will be equipped to initiate an OBD referral that connects a person to detox, psychiatric stabilization, shelter placement, or vocational and case-management support. Each participant’s progress will be monitored through structured accountability check-ins and measurable outcomes, ensuring both personal responsibility and public safety.
The OBD pilot integrates California’s existing Title 15 standards and behavioral-health frameworks to maintain compliance while shifting focus from incarceration to intervention. By emphasizing treatment, training, and tangible recovery outcomes, the Sheriff’s Department will reduce recidivism, ease court congestion, and save taxpayer resources — all while restoring dignity to those most in need.
Under Eric Strong’s leadership, Los Angeles County will begin a new chapter in public safety — one that measures success not by arrests made, but by lives redirected.
No Secrets, Just Service
Law enforcement only works when the public trusts it — and right now, that trust is broken. As Sheriff, Eric Strong will make transparency the standard, so every resident knows how the department is serving them.
Eric will launch a public-facing accountability dashboard with real-time data on use-of-force, civilian complaints, officer-involved shootings, and disciplinary outcomes. He will create an independent Sheriff’s Reform and Oversight Council made up of community leaders, civil rights advocates, and youth voices to review policy and push for change.
Trust will also be built face-to-face. Monthly town halls will rotate across districts, giving residents direct access to the Sheriff’s Department. All communications will be translated into multiple languages, and a public transparency hotline will allow residents to submit concerns, tips, or requests for information with real follow-up.
For Eric, the badge is not a shield from scrutiny — it is a symbol of service. And that service must always be visible to the people.
A safer Los Angeles starts with a stronger Sheriff.
Help elect a leader who understands the system and isn’t afraid to change it.