Despite their differences in on-duty experience and their pasts, Ken Jefferson’s and Mike Williams’ efforts as Jacksonville’s next sheriff have an awful lot of similarities.
Those were apparent during Wednesday’s debate, when more often than not their answers to the city’s crime issues rang similar tones.
Early on, there was one point when moderator Kent Justice of WJXT TV-4 asked Jefferson if his answer regarding reaching out to impressionable youth as a way to combat gangs was the same as Williams’.
Jefferson said Williams’ answer came “right out of my playbook.”
“I’m saying my answer is his answer,” Jefferson replied, causing the vocal pro-Jefferson contingent at Jacksonville University to laugh.
There were other instances, too.
Both talked of the importance of the effort they would bring every day to recruiting Jacksonville’s next wave of crime fighters.
And the need for prevention and intervention programs, like the Jacksonville Journey, also were critically important to keeping the city safe.
Even support for body cameras, an idea Sheriff John Rutherford has opposed, had some common ground. Jefferson called the tool the “wave of the future” and said federal money should be sought. Williams was more hesitant because of budget constraints, but said he wasn’t against the idea.
But they didn’t always agree.
Williams continued to hammer Jefferson about his lack of experience as a supervisor and overseeing a budget. With the sheriff’s office having 3,000 employees and a $400 million budget, Williams said, “I think you need experience at the executive level.”
Williams has had several director and leadership roles, while Jefferson’s roles include the department’s spokesman, recruiter and detective. Jefferson acknowledged he had never been a supervisor, but had succeeded in every role he’s been in.
“I don’t have to be a supervisor to be a leader,” Jefferson said.
He also used Williams’ role as the creator of the gang investigative unit as problematic. The number of gangs and members have increased since the unit began in 2006, Jefferson said. And “they did nothing about it” and allowed the issue to “organize, fester and corrupt” the city.
“He failed,” said Jefferson.
Williams responded the group has done a good job and those criteria for how gangs are identified under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations changed.
Jefferson said he’d be more proactive and build relationships within the community “during the time of peace” in order to be ready when issues arose. But, Williams said, law enforcement generally is reactive — they respond to those in need.
As was the case Monday during a mayoral debate, each candidate was allowed to ask the other a question.
Williams attempted to corner Jefferson on outsourcing responsibilities like police shootings and the budget, while Jefferson tried to coax Williams into stopping negative advertising.
Emotions never ran high, though, and each responded with relative agility — neither was caught off guard.
Jefferson said he wouldn’t be hiring a CFO — there already is a budget officer — and sending the police-involved shootings to the state for investigation allowed for better transparency. Williams said he thought the public ought to know about the differences in experience between the two of them.
During part of the broadcast, WJXT TV-4 ran a simultaneous online poll of who viewers backed. In closing, Justice announced Williams received 54 percent.
Williams smiled, while Jefferson nodded his head affirmatively as the Williams crowd cheered.
Not that it matters much. The real poll is Tuesday.
@writerchapman
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