A.G. Gancarski
On Thursday evening, Jacksonville University’s Public Policy Institute held the only televised debate with the seven candidates for sheriff. The conventional wisdom is that one Democrat (likely Ken Jefferson, who was ahead in the University of North Florida poll a couple of weeks back) and one Republican (likely Mike Williams or Jimmy Holderfield) will advance to the runoff.
The big drama coming into the evening: a controversy about a Holderfield supporter stealing some Williams signs. It wasn’t orchestrated by the Holderfield campaign, but the incident highlighted the increased tension in recent weeks between the Holderfield and Williams camps, which represent diametric opposites. Outgoing Sheriff John Rutherford endorsed Williams; Holderfield, meanwhile, was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and has a pitch-perfect ear for the vernacular of Jacksonville’s Northside and Westside.
Going into the evening, the big questions were:
• Would Jefferson do anything to lose his advantage?
• Would Holderfield be able to emerge from the sign scandal?
• Would Williams capitalize on the sign scandal and seal his place in the runoff?
• Could other Republicans, such as Jay Farhat, Lonnie McDonald, or Rob Schoonover, or Democrat Tony Cummings make a favorable enough impression to overcome lackluster showings in the UNF poll?
The expectation was that not much would change the trajectory of the race. Even though the candidates all have long tenures in the JSO, expecting the inside baseball to come out in public might too much to hope for. Even so, previous forums included robust discussions of serious issues: department reorganization, violent crime, the need for increased civil citations for young offenders, and improving public safety in the Northwest Quadrant and other high-crime areas, as well as other neighborhoods.
The vibe before the debate was distinctly different than other forums where the candidates seemed looser from the start. Even the ebullient Holderfield was muted during the mike check. They’d been before bigger crowds, such as at the St. Paul AME forum, but those meting weren’t televised.
Opening statements were much as they had been at previous forums, except shorter at a half minute each. The brevity allowed the candidates litte opportunity for meaningful discourse. Of the seven candidates, Holderfield and Jefferson, who is rounding into form in time for the election, gave the most polished opening statements.
Then the questions. The first went to McDonald on violent crime — specifically, a police-involved shooting on the Northside. McDonald, regrettably, stammered in front of the cameras, interrupting his points.
Schoonover voiced advocacy to “reinstitute the beat system” in high-risk areas by reducing top management in favor of putting more officers on the street. He also advocated more outreach for at-risk kids.
Then Williams referenced the 93 killings in 2012, 75% of them drug-related. He advocated a “smart, overarching strategy” to fight the drug trade. Farhat advocated a “generational” solution, a dialogue with residents including the faith-based community.
“We’ve got to get a grip on these issues, particularly in the low-income neighborhoods,” Farhat said.
Holderfield, as a former Zone 5 commander, advocated that officers “get out from behind their desks” and onto the streets. Jefferson pointed to his “published plan” and advocated a proactive approach “engaging our young people between the ages of 9 to 12 … we’ve lost a generation.”
The next question asked how to allocate officers out of administrative roles and onto the streets.
Schoonover reiterated his plan to put office-bound officers “back on the street.” Williams pointed out that the city has only 1,603 officers on the street and said it needs more officers to push violent crime back to 2011 levels.
Cummings then referenced “inefficiencies in using the current manpower we have now,” consistent with his reform agenda. Farhat pointed out that supervisors and chiefs have too few subordinates compared to industry best practices, advocating a “top-to-bottom reassessment.” Holderfield, “as a former patrol chief and HR director,” said he knows how to “realign the agency” to “combat the crime issues we have in our community right now … [to] repurpose the agency … and put people back on the street. That’s what people need to see.”
The next question dealt with Ferguson, Mo.,-type situations.
Williams advocated building relationships with minority communities. Cummings again called for civilian review boards and expanding the community affairs division, and an “increased use of civil citations.” He also suggested increasing minority hiring to help “outreach to the African-American male.”
Farhat said the key is to have a force that reflects the community, and building relationship starting “at the ground level.” Holderfield said the key is to “connect, protect, and serve” and to re-examine dated practices to “re-establish the community’s trust.”
For Jefferson, “It’s all about leadership … I want to reintroduce the police department back to the community” to “kill the street code of silence.”
“Ferguson is a great example of how you miss the mark,” he sad.
Schoonover, meanwhile, said it “starts with hiring quality police officers … and it starts at the top” with training and “going back to the beat system … in at-risk neighborhoods” which “creates that bond.”
The next question involved minority hiring.
Cummings advised leveling “the playing field” and reach out to minority communities.
“Often we hear that there aren’t enough qualified” minority officers, he said, advocating minority recruitment and to “act like we’re a diverse community.”
Holderfield said the “focus should be on Jacksonville being a military city,” and advocated “veteran preference.” He mentioned Senate Bill 772 to establish Edward Waters College as a police academy as a good way to boost minority involvement in law enforcement.
Jefferson, who was a police recruiter in the 1990s, said “minority recruiting is not difficult to do.”
“The sheriff is the No. 1 recruiter. He is the one who can pull and draw,” he said. Minority recruitment will help the sheriff cut violent crime by 25% in his first year in office, Jefferson said.
The next question had to do with the threat young people pose to law and order.
Farhat said, “When you lose the children, you lose the community … It saves the child and saves the budget” to use prevention and intervention strategies.
Holderfield said, “I’ve been connecting with the community for 35 years … and what we do know is this. 32206 and 32209 zip codes have 95% of children on free and reduced lunch,” he said, pointing out the obvious connection between poverty and crime.
“If we don’t interact with our children, they will interact with someone else,” he said.
Jefferson advocated “we get our youth at a young age … in the most impressionable stages of life.” He would do that by “partnering with the faith-based community” and mentoring at-risk youth to teach “how to respect authority.” Schoonover pointed out the lack of male role models in high-crime communities. Williams said the city should fund Jacksonville Journey programs — a meme referenced by Lenny Curry throughout his mayoral campaign.
The gang problem then came up.
Holderfield said it’s nothing new, driving “not just the drug trade but the economic crimes we see throughout the community,” especially as it relates to the defenseless elderly. “We can’t wait until they do something heinous … if they stole a piece of bubble gum, we need to get them off our streets.”
Jefferson agreed that there is a gang problem that he would disrupt with his “proactive street crimes unit … which would move wherever the crime is.”
Schoonover said gangs were responsible for “most of the violent crimes” he saw when in the homicide division. “The gang problem is citywide” and “territorial … a gang member will shoot you for disrespect.”
Williams mentioned his creation of the successful Gang Investigation Unit. “The driver is drugs,” he said, and that young boys must be stopped from joining gangs. “We see a multigenerational street gang culture beginning to emerge. That’s what you’ve got to stop.”
Farhat advocated a “comprehensive approach … We have kids being raised by kids” in many neighborhoods. “Leveraging assets” is the solution, he said. “If you lose the child, you lose the community.”
This debate lacked drama, but the candidates presented thoughtful responses to city issues. The Holderfield/Williams feud, such as it is, wasn’t a focus, although Schoonover made a veiled reference to “handpicked” union candidates in his close, a clear swipe at Holderfield. Cummings, running way behind, slammed every frontrunner … again not mentioning them by name, but drawing a crowd murmur.
Neither Holderfield nor Williams acknowledged either attempt at pyrotechnics.
For better or for worse, the front-running candidates are willing to let their messaging speak for itself and to keep a positive campaign.
