Coroner, sheriff candidates clash at Rogers-Lowell Chamber
Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/News/60175/
ROGERS — County sheriff candidates differed on federal prisoners, and a county coroner candidate had his qualifications questioned at a candidates forum on Friday.
It was the last in a multi-part series of candidates forums at the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, held in anticipation of the primary elections.
Unless there’s a runoff, political parties’ nominees for many partisan offices will be determined May 20. If runoffs are required, they will be held three weeks later, on June 10. Sheriff candidates
At the forum, an audience member asked if the policy of housing federal prisoners at the jail for money required the county to pay for additional deputies.
“ Not at the present time, ” incumbent Sheriff Keith Ferguson said. “ We’re full at the jail because of (inadequate ) bed space, not because of federal prisoners. ”
For their part, Ferguson’s challengers, former Sheriff Andy Lee and Rogers Police Department Sgt. Kelley Cradduck, often criticized the sheriff about the county policy of housing federal prisoners and for his response to gang activity in the county.
Ferguson said the only controversial issues he has encountered in nearly six years as sheriff are about gangs and illegal aliens, and both are most discussed as election issues.
Cradduck said Ferguson has previously claimed the county is making $ 1 million on the federal prisoners and also claimed it’s making about $ 400, 000.
In any case, it’s a bad idea for the county to house federal prisoners because the practice results in criminals convicted of serious federal crimes making contacts in the area they will likely renew when released, and results in criminals already in the area learning how better to commit crimes, Lee and Cradduck both said.
Another questioner said a call to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office had not resulted in a response to the home, apparently because the owner of the affected property had not been at home.
Ferguson said he’d fire any deputy who failed to respond, but said the sheriff had no control over the county 911 administration — it’s controlled by the county judge — and therefore his office couldn’t be sure the message had been relayed to a deputy.
After the forum, former Sheriff Lee said he learned it is county policy to notify the BCSO anytime a deputy or other assistance is needed.
And Josh Billis, manager / trainer of Benton County 911 administration, said it’s county policy to notify BCSO whenever a deputy or other assistance is requested. “ We get basic information, … (then ) we dispatch, ” he said. Coroner candidates
Coroner candidate Kenneth Lepp said he sent a fax to Brian Marshall, deputy director of he Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, asking for information about a coroner candidate, Daniel Oxford of Gravette, who has talked about receiving law-enforcement training.
Marshall replied his office has no record of Mr. Oxford ever being in law enforcement in the state of Arkansas, Lepp said.
In fact, he had the training, Oxford said. Oxford later produced, certificates and other documentation that says he completed required training in parttime law enforcement, as well as all other training he claimed in his campaign literature and in his public statements.
After the forum, Lee, who was sheriff during the time Oxford claims to have received training in part-time law enforcement, looked at Oxford’s certificate and said the signature on it was indeed his — Lee’s. He doesn’t specifically recall Oxford’s completing the training from the BCSO, but he is sure Oxford did so, Lee said.
Lepp said Oxford had been truthful in his literature and statements, but his law-enforcement experience still is not as extensive as voters might conclude it had been.
Both Lepp and Oxford are constables, and constables usually don’t have a lot to do, Lepp said Friday evening.
Coroner candidate Caris Smith talked about her degrees, including one in forensic science earned at Northwest Arkansas Community College and other training in crime-scene investigation, among other job-related topics.
At 29, she is continuing to train to prepare to be coroner in large part because the field interests her and she wants to serve people in it, she said.
Coroner candidate Craig Schatz talked about his experience, including a long stint in the funeral-home industry. Helping family members at the worst moment in their lives, when they lose a loved one, is a service he has been glad to perform before and will be glad to perform again if elected, he said.