ISSUES WE FACE
With 5 years in the Delta County Prosecutor's Office, Lauren is uniquely equipped to see what issues face Delta County. Those issues include expanded drug use, victim crime response, and supporting law enforcement.
"To distill the issues or policies of a Prosecutor's Office down to any number of issues can be a distraction. My job as a prosecutor is to look at each situation individually, and apply the law appropriately. There is no one size fits all. As Prosecutor, I will work to make Delta County a safer place for all and keep Delta County moving forward, as a fantastic place to live and work."
VICTIM CRIMES
Victim crimes are not unique to Delta County, but the issues that come about in Delta County are unique. As part of the Delta County Prosecutor's Office, Lauren has been in a position to shape the Victim Advocacy in the office. Lauren has been in a position to hire fantastic people, that listen and react to victim's concerns and problems.
Lauren, along with the Victim Unit Staff, are set to expand the ability for the office to respond to victims, by being consistently available when issues or questions arise. Lauren is dedicated to bringing in grant money to allow the victim advocates, law enforcement, and prosecutors be as prepared as possible to advocate for a victim's rights. Several of these grants are in process now and are expected to be awarded this summer.
Lauren will also continue to work closely with the Delta Area Child Advocacy Center. "This group has done an incredible job reaching children and enhancing our ability to prosecute crimes against children. What they have accomplished in such a short amount of time is absolutely amazing. They have become an invaluable asset to the community and I cannot imagine moving forward without their advocacy and support."
DRUG ISSUES
Lauren was appointed as the "Drug Prosecutor" not to punish the user, but to seek out and prosecute those bringing the drugs into our community. Our community has been overrun with methamphetamine. Other dangerous drugs, such as fentanyl, is also starting to make a more consistent appearance. "Drugs do not sell themselves, and I do not seek to persecute the addict, but to punish the person feeding the addiction. I have seen the drug problem seep into every area of criminal law. Nearly every crime can trace its origins back to some sort of drug usage. This problem reaches every person in Delta County."
As prosecutor, Lauren will work diligently to determine when help is the appropriate response, and when punishment is the appropriate response. "Delta County is fortunate to have an active and successful drug court program. The Prosecutor's Office commitment to the program will be stronger by electing me as Prosecutor."
Lauren will not sit by and let drugs, specifically meth, take over the community. "I am actively working on a grant that would allow for increased response to the meth problem our community faces. If successful, the grant could bring valuable resources we have never seen before."
SUPPORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
Law Enforcement has come under close scrutiny across the country, over the last few years. Delta County has some of the most honest and diligent officers possible. "I have never seen a group of individuals works so selflessly. They are not seeking arrests to boost their own numbers, but genuinely to make their community better. They willingly share ideas, advice, and insight more than any other group I have ever seen."
My relationship with law enforcement is one of my biggest assets. Law enforcement know they can call, whenever, about whatever, in a way they have never been able to before. This confidence has translated to more prepared officers on the road and in court. "I want to make sure officers know what to expect on a traffic stop, executing a search warrant, or in a court proceeding. These officers live and work in their own community and want to do what is best for their neighbors. I can only hope to extend that respect and goodwill inside the courtroom."
"I have heard from law enforcement in all departments that the relationship they have built with the Prosecutor's Office, and specifically myself, over the last several years is unlike anything law enforcement has experienced in the past. They feel supported and heard. They do not want to return to a time of drug crime ruling the streets of Delta County."