Melissa Ross
They’ve participated in dozens of forums together over a long and, at times, bitterly fought campaign.
Thursday night’s televised debate was the final bout between Jacksonville sheriff candidates Ken Jefferson and Mike Williams, with both men looking to land a roundhouse or two before the Tuesday runoff election.
The debate, held on the FSCJ South Campus and broadcast by Action News, departed from script at the show’s opening to get both candidates’ reactions to the news that two students were shot on a school bus Thursday on the city’s Westside.
Jefferson used the question, as he did throughout the hour, to lob thinly veiled attacks at the current JSO leadership. “I’m outraged,” he said, adding he wouldn’t “sit behind a desk” when violent crime strikes.
Williams took a less confrontational tone on the question, along with queries about the growth of gangs in the city, how to restore residents’ trust in law enforcement, and how and when pension reform will get resolved for police and fire personnel.
“At some point in time, we have to trust the police,” said Williams, who struck a middle ground throughout the debate on a range of hot-button issues. He worked to defend JSO’s record and reputation, while at the same time positioning himself as open to some changes — and most critically, as the candidate with more management experience to lead the department.
For his part, Jefferson went on the offensive a number of times, noting Williams was in charge of investigating gang activity in Jacksonville “as the problem continued to fester. And the agency was in denial. As PIO, I was told not to mention gangs.”
But both men refrained from making the personal attacks on each other’s background and finances that generated much discussion at earlier debates.
Jefferson closed by offering himself to voters as a “clear choice for change.”
“I ask for your vote if you’re ready for a new sheriff to come to town,” he said, insinuating that Williams’ leadership would be a continuation of the John Rutherford era.
Williams’ closing remarks hit on what he’s stressed all along: leadership and administrative experience. “I spent 23 years at JSO and rose through the ranks to overseeing much of the department,” he reminded voters.
Williams has a fundraising lead going into Tuesday’s election, with Jefferson at last word slightly edging him in the polls.
