Our Pierce County Local Voter’s Pamphlet for our forthcoming General Election on November 3, 2020, arrived by mail recently.
I cracked the pamphlet open and dove into page 12 to read the two candidate statements for Pierce County Sheriff.
Having been associated with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department for 23+ years, I am very familiar with both candidates. After reading the Voter’s Pamphlet, I felt compelled to share my impressions and opinions regarding each candidate’s statement.
On October 12, 2020, I published my findings and opinions regarding Ed Troyer’s candidate statement. If you missed my Westside Story — Voter’s Pamphlet — Detective Ed Troyer click here.
Candidate Cyndie Fajardo
(1) Voters may never have seen Lieutenant Cyndie Fajardo’s face or name on TV. Cyndie has spent her career behind the scenes with a lower public profile than her opponent. Cyndie spent her career leading and managing others to accomplish various missions of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
Cyndie Fajardo has not just been a talker; she has been a doer, making her more highly qualified to become our next Sheriff.
(2) Cyndie Fajardo has elected experience, having run for and been reelected to multiple terms for the position of President of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Guild.
Ed Troyer has no elected experience.
(3) Compare the educational backgrounds of the two candidates.
Cyndie Fajardo has the following educational accomplishments:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration.
- Master’s Degree in Organizational Management.
- Graduate, FBI Academy.
While the FBI Academy education is not required to be Sheriff, it enhances a candidate’s ability to provide effective Executive Police Leadership. Cyndie has already completed her FBI education, which is why she is more qualified to be our next Sheriff. Her opponent has not accomplished his FBI training.
Cyndie Fajardo is miles ahead of her opponent regarding formal education, leadership experience, management experience, community relations experience, and law enforcement experience. She has experience working with government budgets.
(4) Cyndie Fajardo has 32 years of service with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, plus 4 years with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department in Colorado or a total of 36 years in law enforcement.
(5) Compare the experience of the two candidates.
(a) When it comes to experience, Ed Troyer’s career has been very narrow.
*Ed spent a small amount of time of his total career actually in street Patrol.
*Ed Troyer, while attached to a patrol units, evaded street patrol as much as possible instead spending his time in side-assignments outside the patrol function.
Patrol is the backbone of police work. If you lack experience and knowledge regarding patrol, you will not be able to be an effective leader in law enforcement.
*Ed Troyer spent the last 19 or 20 years as our department Public Information Officer (PIO).
*Ed Troyer spent decades on TV as host of the Sheriff’s Report, which generates more face and name familiarity.
Ed has no time and no experience managing or leading any significant operational or administrative units of the Sheriff’s Department.
(b) Cyndie Fajardo has served multiple leadership and supervisory assignments which have prepared her to serve as our next Sheriff, such as:
- Commanding Officer of the Sheriff’s Department Parkland – Spanaway Precinct.
- Director of Public Safety (Chief of Police & Fire Chief) for the Town of Steilacoom.
- Patrol sergeant
- Patrol lieutenant
- Supervisor narcotics
- Financial Investigator
- Five different management / supervisor positions in FEMA Search and Rescue.
- Supervisor Community Programs.
As everyone knows, politics can be a dirty business. Recently Cyndie Fajardo has been the target of some sensational bad press with half-truths, hidden agendas, and politically motivated tactics designed to block her election.
It is 2020, but as difficult as it is to comprehend, there are still those who do not want a woman, any woman, to become Sheriff of Pierce County.
Watch for my forthcoming Westside Story which will provide voters the opportunity to understand both sides of this recent drama.
Voters can then make an informed decision regarding who is best qualified to serve as our next Pierce County Sheriff.
Thank you Joe for your unemotional, organized and fact-filled summary of the two candidates. In the interest of completeness, I and I’m sure others would welcome a similar summary on these pages from one of Mr Troyer’s supporters on his suitability for the position.
Joe, today’s article has provided some good information for your readers concerning the TNT article. I remember reading the article and I had already come to that conclusion. Over the years Officer Fajardo has had a wonderful career being a leader in every position. When I read the article that was less than flattering, I was not surprised. Over the past 50 years I have read many articles that provided readers with miss information or information that was wrong. It’s not just the TNT other publications do the same. One time I asked a guy I knew that worked for a paper how this happens, why can’t they get it right, how do they get by with lying? He said they don’t have to, they are reporting the story as they see it, it is their interpretation. Thirty years ago, I made a comment to my oldest daughter about an article I read on the internet. She said, dad, remember half the stuff you read on the internet is wrong or written to miss lead you, it’s like what you read in the newspaper.
Common sense should tell us not to believe everything you read; it is just one persons opinion which is often misguided. Joe, my question is why in the world would I take the word of some reporter who put a story together that made a person with years of achievements look bad. Someone who has spent her life helping people in the community. Wouldn’t you ask yourself “what is the rest of the story”? A top notch reporter would wonder what else I should be writing.
I heard a story years ago that asks the question, how can you tell when a politician is lying? Answer is “their lips are moving”. Well you can add to that joke writers who put articles in newspapers, publications and on the internet.
RV
My youngest daughter left home for college in 2006 after graduation from Lakes High School, never to live back in this area. My recent trip to visit her and her husband showed me that 14 years later she recognized one of the candidates name. ” Isn’t he the Sherifs press secretary?” She said. “YES I replied that’s what he is”. Out of the mouths of babes, even ones with a Masters.
Shelley Hull,
Thank you so very much for sharing your life experience. The name familiarity phenomenon is a powerful vote magnet, but it is not a safe basis upon which to vote.
Joseph Boyle
Vote for honesty Vote for Ed Troyer! We don’t need another crook in any office.