PROFILE for Roger Flanders, candidate for Garden Grove City Council District 1.

Name: Roger Flanders

Office being sought: Garden Grove City Council District 1.

City of residence: Garden Grove.

Age: 57. Occupation:R etired Garden Grove police officer.

ROGER FLANDERS

Family: Wife, two children, three grandchildren.

Education: B.A. from UC Irvine in social ecology – criminal justice.

Other public service: Youth coach of baseball and soccer. President of Pacifica High School baseball boosters.

Why do you want to run for this office?

I am running for the Garden Grove City Council because I feel very strongly that I have the most to offer to help our city in a time of great need.

I grew up in [Garden Grove] and then made a career as a police officer for the City of Garden Grove. I earned a bachelor’s degree at UC Irvine in social ecology-criminal justice.

I’m married and raised two children who graduated [from schools in the] GGUSD. I am looking forward to my grandchildren growing up here, too.

As an officer with 30 years of working the streets and visiting homes, I have seen our residents’ needs first hand. I served in a number of capacities including D.A.R.E., terrorism liaison, SRT (homeless) officer. I want to continue to serve my city and its fine residents.

Garden Grove is facing many difficult challenges. Because of my hands on, unique experience in Garden Grove I strongly believe that I am the best candidate to address the myriad of issues affecting our community.

What do you think are the major issues facing the community and what do you propose to do about them?

Our challenges in Garden Grove District 1 overlap with one another. The rise in crime, increase in homelessness, public safety understaffing, a need for collaboration with schools to strengthen our students, reinvigoration of businesses such as along Valley View with appropriate economic development, and prudent fiscal management by our cities are issues that need to be addressed.

We are in an economic crisis as we are asking taxpayers for a raise in sales tax. With the other source of revenue, we need to ask how we got into this current situation. This priority overshadows being able to provide city services. The city’s fiscal habits have to change.

The city’s efforts into business development in District 1 have been woeful, especially along Valley View. Residents are shopping and dining in neighboring cities whose efforts have resulted in beautiful complexes. For starters, I would contact those resources and bring similar, appropriate businesses to our residents, and keep tax dollars here.

We need to evaluate our public service deployment strategies as well as supplement our staffing (which is at 1980s levels) including SRT with resources to get folks off the street into programs that we already partner with throughout the county, and reintegrate them into their communities.

We need to be cautious of high-density housing that would further stress our resources, such as police services, fire/medical services, roads, water, schools, etc.

I have witnessed [how] the scourge of drug abuse tears families apart and increases homelessness. I will collaborate with schools and community organizations to present a program to our children with emotional well-being/stress education as well as a safety program (SafeKids/HERO) for physical and emotional support in case of a violent crisis.

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