RACE: Cook County Sheriff

About the Candidate

Name: Noland Rivera
DOB: Sept. 25, 1963
Occupation: Sergeant of Police, Chicago Police Department
Political Experience: None
Website: rivera4sheriff.com
Facebook: facebook.com/Rivera4Sheriff

Candidate Statement

Hello, I’m Nolan Rivera candidate for Cook County Sheriff. I’ve been a lifelong resident of the City of Chicago and Cook County.

I worry about my own boys every time they venture out. My 20-year-old son was the victim of an attempted carjacking and was thankfully uninjured. Unfortunately, others have not been so lucky.

My family has suffered and sacrificed considerably under the current Sheriff’s administration. Like you, I cannot sit back and watch as our cities become a haven for criminality. I will not abandon my community, but instead, I will work on fighting this attack on common decency, society, businesses, neighborhoods, and on our families.

We can no longer tolerate business as usual with negligent bureaucrats and false promises. As a 27-year veteran of the Chicago police department. I know intimately how crime destroys hope, families, and communities. We must come together to ensure we provide a safe, prosperous, and welcoming community to all. It is without a doubt that now is the time to strive for the greatest outcome for our future and the future of our children.

I’m a 33-year combat veteran with the US Army and Air Force. I have protected our flying public as a United States federal air marshal, attended four police academies, and have a master’s degree from the prestigious University of Chicago in threat and response management. I will continue to serve my community with the same honor, dedication to excellence, integrity, and commitment as a law enforcement practitioner. I will bring my extensive experience, education, and initiatives to bear with the common sense wisdom needed in order to provide the forward-thinking leadership we all deserve.

Leadership is everything. And it’s been absent at the Cook County Sheriff’s office for far too long. I will not be an absentee sheriff. Help is on the way.

Please go to my webpage rivera4sheriff.com for more information on my background and my very important initiatives.  Vote for me, Nolan Rivera on June 28th in the Democrat primary. I approve this message.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

As a 28-year veteran Sergeant of the Chicago Police Department, I know intimately how crime destroys hope, families, and communities. We are a county of rich and diverse communities and we must come together to ensure we provide a safe, prosperous, and welcoming community. It is without a doubt, that now is the time to strive for the greatest outcome for our future and the future of our children.

As Sheriff I plan to bring sound common sense leadership, eliminate fraud, waste and abuse at all levels, work with local, state, and federal agencies to bring more resources to the Sheriff's office, to hire more Deputies, and improve and maintain safe working and efficient detention facilities. I am without question the most qualified candidate. And in addition to my extensive background in law enforcement, I have the greatest scope of experience and the wisdom that comes from that experience.

My ultimate goal will be to begin the process of professionalizing the Sheriff’s office and eventually obtain Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) certification, thereby modernizing and professionalizing our Sheriff's Department. Currently, I am a police training supervisor and instructor with the Chicago Police Academy, where I have had the absolute honor of helping develop the next generation of compassionate and just police officers.

What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?

One thing this office does well is dealing with the court services, by protecting the courts and judges and facilities. Another is working with inmate families to keep them safe and assist with information once individuals go to Statesville. They also provide peer support for families.

On the opposite side, the sheriff’s office has many organizational issues that can be very complex in addressing, to list a few; electronic monitoring, cash bail, relationships between prosecutor and chief judge, shortage of manpower, infrastructure shortcomings, among other areas of concern.

What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?

The most pressing issue facing my constituents is crime. I will address this by refunding the police, hiring more officers, professionalizing the force, and committing to real engagement with communities, leaders and stakeholders. I will also have a greater sheriff’s presence, cultivate strong partnerships with municipalities throughout the county to include Chicago cook, and provide them additional support in law enforcement crime reduction.

What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?

I will establish an office of community engagement which will be responsible for planning events and being more visible to the community. I will make sure that that office has a phone number and a website where residents can call or send messages and voice their concerns. I will reach out to community leaders, including clergy, teachers, and businesses in the most underserved communities to focus on working together to improve relationships between our office and the diverse communities in the county.

My team will establish a citizens academy where residents can join to learn about the court, jail, and police processes, and participate in real meaningful civil engagement.