A 90 minute debate between the two candidates running for Montgomery County Sheriff in 2016 as Sheriff Gage is retiring. It was held at the Needham Road Baptist Church on SH 242 in Conroe.
The video is unedited and is the full debate.
Rand Henderson (FB page, website) is a native Texan, lifelong public servant, and a 22-plus-year veteran with both law enforcement and corrections experience. He holds a Master Peace Officer Certification, Law Enforcement Instructor License, Crime Prevention Inspector License, and a Texas Jail License. He also holds a B.S. in Law Enforcement/Police Science from the Sam Houston State College of Criminal Justice and an M.S. in Criminal Justice Management. As an undergrad, Rand worked full time providing security at the Texas Department of Corrections at Huntsville (the “Walls” unit). He is also a graduate of the Texas Peace Officer Academic Licensing Academy (TPOALA, co-hosted by Sam Houston and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office [MCSO]), the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) Leadership Command College (LCC), and the FBI National Academy.
From his start as an MCSO Deputy in 1994, Rand has steadily earned promotions to increasing levels of responsibility in roles as Corporal, Patrol Sergeant, Lieutenant, District Commander, and Captain. He also managed internal investigations in the Internal Affairs Unit, and he has managed specialized units such as the Regional Training Academy, Motorcycle Traffic Unit, K-9 Unit, Recruiting Unit, Basic Peace Officer Course, Crime Prevention, and Crime Stoppers, and he served as Incident Commander in Emergency Management during hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike. Rand has worked as an adjunct professor of Criminal Justice at both Lone Star College and Sam Houston State. Rand is actively involved in the community and is a member of the Conroe Noon Lion’s Club and is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Conroe. He and his wife Christina have two children, Rylie and Reid.
Jim Napolitano (FB page, website) is the son of a nurse and a New York City Police Officer/U.S. Army Korean War Veteran who instilled in him the importance of integrity, service to others, and a strong work ethic — principles that have guided Jim throughout his life. Arriving in Texas in 1977 with just $300 to his name, Jim worked full-time in the oil field and restaurant industry while earning his degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from the University of Houston in 1979. He worked in the oil and gas industry as a Mechanical Engineer (M.E.) while attending the law enforcement training academy and began working as a Reserve Deputy (for free) with MCSO in 1983, which led to a full-time position at MCSO. He worked in the Jail, the Detective Division, and in Patrol for Districts 1 & 2, and he was promoted to Sergeant within one and a half years.
Jim then began a 22-year career with the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), where he worked on a wide range of cases, projects, and protective details as Special Agent, Shift Agent, and Instructor. Some of his notable USSS assignments included: shift Agent to the Former President George H.W. Bush and Former First Lady Barbara Bush; Counter Assault Team (CAT) Agent for the Presidential Protection Division for President Bill Clinton; Instructor in Control Tactics, Lead Instructor, Program Manager for Water Safety and Emergency Medicine, and Course Director at the Secret Service Training Academy; and Resident Agent in Charge of the USSS Residential Office in Waco, including President George W. Bush’s Western White House in Crawford, Texas. Upon retirement from the USSS, Jim has worked in the private sector as Security Manager for Marathon Oil and as founder and owner of a private security firm. Jim currently serves as Chief of Police for the City of Montgomery. He holds a Master Peace Officer Certificate from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, a Public Information Officer Certificate from LEMIT, and Texas Police Chief Leadership Series and Chief Development Series Certificates from LEMIT. He is a Firearms Instructor, Control Tactics Instructor, and Baton Instructor. Jim and his wife Angela are actively involved in the community and professional associations. They are members of and support the many missions of The Woodlands Church. They have five children.
