A closer look
Fort Bend County covers 885 square miles and includes municipalities such as Sugar Land, Katy, Missouri City, Richmond and Stafford, per the county website. It's also considered one of the most diverse counties in the country and one of the fastest-growing counties in the region, according to demographers from the U.S. Census Bureau and Woods & Poole.
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more information about voting in Fort Bend County, visit www.fortbendcountytx.gov.
Mo Nehad
Experience:
Field training officer, master peace office, police officer, warrant officer-Texas military, businessman
Occupation:
Police officer
Candidate Website:
https://monehad.com
Contact Information:
713-449-1448
Why did you choose to run in this election?
Rather than give you a cliche answer that I want to serve the community, the truth is I am running for sheriff because this country has blessed me and my family, and it's time to return those blessings with actions that serve and protect my community.
What is your top priority if elected?
To increase the number of deputies on patrol and in county jail by hiring new graduates from regional police academies and having incentives for lateral and experienced police officers. In addition, to having a hiring schedule created for the next two years for our county law enforcement academy.
What needs does the county face, and what plan would you make to tackle those needs?
Restoring law and order and improving the standards in the county jail. Increasing the number of deputies patrol and in the county jail. I plan to hire competent, experienced command staff to lead various divisions.
As the population in Fort Bend County continues to grow, how do you plan to keep crime rates low?
By ensuring there is an appropriate ratio of deputies to the population. Proactive, community policing, traffic enforcement are all my top priorities to keep the growing population of Fort Bend safe. The sheriff’s office must be prepared to assist school district police with any enforcement initiatives that they may have.
The legislative session brought school safety mandates. What do you believe is the best way to ensure school safety, and what should be the county’s role in that?
I believe that the school district and county police should have joint training exercises and mandatory weekly meetings with school district police chiefs to have seamless communication between the two entities. The goal is to reduce the response time in the event of an active shooter.
John Minchew
Experience:
Candidate did not respond to the questionnaire before press time.
Occupation:
Candidate did not respond to the questionnaire before press time.
Why did you choose to run in this election?
Candidate did not respond to the questionnaire before press time.
What is your top priority if elected?
Candidate did not respond to the questionnaire before press time.
What needs does the county face, and what plan would you make to tackle those needs?
Candidate did not respond to the questionnaire before press time.
As the population in Fort Bend County continues to grow, how do you plan to keep crime rates low?
Candidate did not respond to the questionnaire before press time.
The legislative session brought school safety mandates. What do you believe is the best way to ensure school safety, and what should be the county’s role in that?
Candidate did not respond to the questionnaire before press time.
Marshall Slot
Experience:
30+ years in law enforcement; 24 years protecting Fort Bend, 15 years of corporate security
Occupation:
Senior corporate security advisor for Chevron
Candidate Website:
https://www.votemarshallslot.com
Contact Information:
832-846-7568
Why did you choose to run in this election?
Our county deserves a superior level of service from our sheriff’s office. ... It is crucial to address internal issues to empower our dedicated deputies to exceed community expectations.
What is your top priority if elected?
I will fill command staff positions with existing FBCSO personnel where possible and demand servant leadership at all levels of the agency. By rebuilding the morale and professionalism within the agency, our dedicated deputies and support staff will provide superior service to our county.
What needs does the county face, and what plan would you make to tackle those needs?
The agency faces recruiting and retention challenges. ... Simply put, we will develop an environment to enable the agency to recruit the best candidates and help them develop personally and professionally, so they will have a long and rewarding career at FBCSO!
As the population in Fort Bend County continues to grow, how do you plan to keep crime rates low?
Allocate resources to higher crime areas while maintaining appropriate presence and services throughout other areas while routinely assessing the effectiveness of our efforts and adjusting them appropriately. We will work diligently to repair and strengthen working relationships with other law enforcement agencies serving in Fort Bend County.
The legislative session brought school safety mandates. What do you believe is the best way to ensure school safety, and what should be the county’s role in that?
We will work collaboratively with existing school district administrations and school law enforcement to develop a “Threat Management Program” to better identify threatening behaviors and address them before they develop into targeted violence situations. We will also increase interagency drills and exercises to prepare for potential worst-case scenarios.
