Editor’s Note: Renton City Council has Position No. 2 and 6 on the upcoming August primary election.

Armondo Pavone is the incumbent for Position No. 2 and he is running against Diane Dobson and Max J. Heller III.

Ruth Perez is the incumbent for Position No. 6 and she is running against Carl Eshelman and Jami Smith.

These six candidates are participating in an in-paper debate. The Reporter sent four questions for each candidates to respond to and below are their answers to the second two questions.

The candidates will also have the opportunity to reply or rebut answers from their opponents. Those responses are scheduled to run in the June 30 and July 7 editions of The Reporter.

Ballots for the August election will be mailed out on July 12 and election day is Aug. 1.

Question No. 3: Some residents in Renton are fearful of the federal government in regard to immigration and deportation — as an elected official what would your stance be on these issues?

Armondo Pavone (Position No. 2)

As Council President, I firmly stand behind our business plan and mission statement which stresses our commitment to build an inclusive city with opportunities for all. In Renton, we have embraced our diversity and believe that strong vibrant communities are built by providing services and opportunities that reach everyone in the city, including those who do not speak English as a first language. Our city’s leadership and continuous efforts with inclusion and diversity have been nationally recognized. We are continually meeting with community leaders and members of our immigrant communities to reassure them that we have no plans to check on the status of those doing business or requesting service from the police. Through community engagement we will continue to remove barriers and work towards making all the residents of Renton feel safe and welcome.

Diane Dobson (Position No. 2)

As an elected official in the City of Renton, one of the most diverse cities in the entire nation, I would do all I could to learn about the subject matter that is so important to so many of our citizens.

I would speak with community leaders, talk to the citizens who are directly impacted by these matters and encourage and engage in public forums to hear open and candid discussion from our citizens.

I would educate myself on the laws and stances that the federal, state and municipal governments are embracing and the reasoning behind the same – including the information only our City Leadership may be privy to.

I would utilize the capacity as an elected official to engage in the types of conversations and acquire the information to make the most educated and informed stance on the issue(s) surrounding this as I could when in office.

Max J. Heller III (Position No. 2)

I firmly oppose the current administrations policy towards immigration and deportation.

This nation was founded on immigration and the belief of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” FOR ALL.

I disagree and oppose the administrations discriminatory policy on immigration and deportation and will continue to oppose and speak out against it. Because this policy does not represent the values of this nation

Ruth Perez (Position No. 6)

Politics and policies from the nation’s capital involving immigration issues are taking a heavy toll on many residents. The fear is very real. We have been meeting with leaders from a number of immigrant groups to emphasize that Renton does not check the immigration status of people in our community. We have never had and don’t have plans to do so in the future. Some critics are concerned that our lack of enforcing some of the federal immigration policies is allowing wanted criminals to run free. This is not true. We treat all suspected criminals the same. We have a serious responsibility to protect each one of our residents and each one of them should feel safe living in Renton.

Carl Eshelman (Position No. 6)

I fully support immigration reform to make it easier for people to come to this country to work. I do not support mass deportation of people who have done nothing wrong other than entering this country without proper documentation. Undocumented immigration is not stealing our jobs or raising our crime rates. The vast majority of the people who come to this country illegally do so to work at jobs that American citizens are no longer willing to do. They’re a vital part of our economy and are working hard to support their families. These immigrants only enter the U.S. illegally because there aren’t any easy legal ways for them to get here.

Law enforcement inquiring into immigration status is a double-edged sword. We need to make it easy and fear-free for all people to report crimes. The possibility of law enforcement inquiring about immigration status hampers reporting for people who entered the country without documentation. On the flip side, law enforcement must be able to ask all the questions necessary in investigating crimes. I believe it is appropriate for law enforcement to inquire as to the immigration status of people who are suspected of committing a crime.

Jami Smith (Position No. 6)

I am in support of the Mayor’s Proclamation that Renton is an Inclusive City — currently, the Mayor, city council, and the Renton Police Department have been in the forefront when it comes to implementing practices and definitions that actually protect undocumented immigrants from deportation and criminal prosecution simply for being here without documentation.

However, I believe that we can go further. It is important to me that we work towards implementing ordinances and responsibly enforce those ordinances so that the protections we offer to our undocumented residences are not easily abridged or changed when elected officials leave or change office, and that we demonstrate that we stand behind our proclamation with our actions.

Question No. 4: What is your position on how the city should combat crime and keep neighborhoods safe? And what can the City Council do about it?

Armondo Pavone (Position No. 2)

As an elected official, public safety is my top priority. We are blessed in Renton to have one of the most well trained, responsive and professional police departments in the state. The city council is a legislative body and as a council member I will continue to:

• Work to strengthen the active partnerships with community groups, residents and neighborhood leaders.

• Provide the needed resources and tools. Encourage the exploration of new techniques and technology.

• Support the use of specialized emphasis patrols that look to address the causes of crime and reduce the opportunity for it to occur

• Ensure state legislators fully fund the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. This will allow the city to hire, train and staff the department to the level we have budgeted for.

• Support the responsive individualized approach to neighborhood issues.

Diane Dobson (Position No. 2)

Pride and ownership. Give neighborhoods reasons to be proud, to want to know their neighbors and get involved. The more the neighborhoods can absorb, the less drain we will feel on city resources.

Community based policing. Nobody knows the neighborhoods better than the residents who live there. Involve them in the process toward solutions so their voices are heard and valued.

Work with the city attorney, police department and neighborhoods to find out the REAL challenges faced and enforce the laws we have on the books (or modify them to make them contemporary). Encourage the city attorney and King County to become more proactive with the cases they pursue and educate our officers and city officials on the tools already available. Don’t allow any neighborhood, community or citizen to feel dismissed — learn the realities they live with. Become progressive with contemporary solutions and find ways to give those people charged with our safety more teeth so they can work smarter and not harder.

The council should LISTEN to the words of the citizens, facilitate communication, encourage accountability, use their position to ask questions/demand answers and break down the barriers in overcoming obstacles toward solution. Be the voice of strength when the citizens want to give up — that’s why they are generally there asking for help in the first place.

Max J. Heller III (Position No. 2)

• Support our police by giving them the full resources and support they need to combat crime.

• Increase and support neighborhood watch programs.

• Support law enforcement accountability.

• Increase funding for the D.A.R.E program in our schools and fight drug abuse amongst our youth

Together as a city, community and neighborhoods we can fight the increasing crime rate in Renton and take back our streets and reduce crime.

Position No. 6

Ruth Perez (Position No. 6)

Mail theft, car prowls, auto theft, burglaries and even robberies have risen to an alarming rate in this region. In Renton, public safety continues to be our number one priority. The desire to feel safe where you live and work is human nature. This is the environment we are working very hard to protect. Our police officers are committed to exploring innovative ways to reduce crime not just to respond to calls. Our police officers are also working hard to improve relations between themselves and the public they serve. We, as a council have developed new policies to improve Renton’s public safety and to provide more tools for our officers to use in safeguarding our community. We are also making an effort to build strong trusting relationships with our residents. This means getting out of police cars, attending public events, interacting with youth at our park facilities and rec centers and building a new relationship with our diverse community.

Carl Eshelman (Position No. 6)

Areavibe.com rates Renton an F on crime and C- on education. Neighborhoodscout.com rates Renton a three on a scale of 0 (least safe) to 100 (most safe). Based on FBI 2016 Preliminary UCI information, from 2015 to 2016 violent crimes increased 8.8 percent and property crimes 8.3 percent in Renton. Compare this to a national average of 5.3 percent for violent crimes and -0.6 percent for property crimes. This is one of the most important issues facing Renton today and needs to be addressed from both a short-term and long-term perspective.

In the short term, we need to ensure our police department is adequately funded. Currently, the national average for cities of similar size to Renton is 16.1 officers per 10K of population, Renton has 11.9 (www.governing.com.) Secondly, we need to get the community actively involved in crime prevention by promoting neighborhood watches and encouraging reporting of suspicious activities.

But additional police officers and community watch programs only address the symptoms, not the problem itself. To solve the problem, we need to keep our kids off drugs and in school so they can get an education that prepares them to enter the workforce. Renton scoring low on crime and education isn’t a coincidence.

Jami Smith (Position No. 6)

I believe that crime and general public safety are key indicators of the health of a community, and as a result, should be top of mind for the City Council at all times. I believe that the Council should continue its work with the Renton Police Department to continue to define what community policing means for Renton, and to implement those guidelines so that police officers feel comfortable in all areas of the city, and residents in all areas of the city feel comfortable with the police. The latter part is key because it is only through community cooperation that the police can do its best work in preventing and solving crime. I believe that the City Council is key to creating that bridge and that environment for that cooperation and collaboration.