As a reader service, the Daily Record plans to present daily information about candidates on the ballot in the spring election. The information is scheduled to be published in advance of early voting, which begins March 7 in Duval County. The Daily Record sent the same questions to Sheriff candidates and here are their e-mailed responses. Candidates were given a word limit. Responses that exceeded it are edited for space.
| The candidates say... | What is the top issue facing the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office? | How do you propose to resolve it? | Do you favor term limits for your office, and why or why not? | Why should constituents elect you? |
| Soren Brockdorf No Party Affiliation | The budget and our disgracefully high murder rate. | I will implement IBM’s Cognos Business Intelligence and Financial Performance Management software that will allow us to eliminate 120 unnecessary government bureaucrats by delivering information directly to officers, saving $18 million a year. We’re the murder capital of Florida. My time working the Beaver Street/Moncrief Road area for JSO taught me the only thing that will resolve this problem is putting officers back on the streets and reducing response times. | I favor switching to a police chief appointed by the mayor. Unless we switch, we will never be able to bring in outside talent from other states. The truth is that none of the current sheriff candidates is what Jacksonville needs – myself included. Jacksonville could use someone like Frederick H. Bealefeld III, the current police commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department, which is experiencing its lowest homicide rate in decades. | I love Jacksonville and as sheriff, I will diligently work to reduce the budget. I have spent my entire career as a Certified Public Accountant reducing costs vis-a-vis process mapping and systems analysis. |
| Ken Jefferson Democrat | They are some of the same issues that concern the average citizen. We continue to lead the state in homicides. We are labeled the murder capital of Florida. Our negative public safety image impedes our economic growth. The image of Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office among the general public is in need of repair. I want to restore confidence that JSO is ‘capable, competent and caring’ in executing our mission on a daily basis. | By engaging every aspect of the community in activating small solutions that will ultimately lead to greater outcomes. Effective enforcement, community policing, evidence-based prevention, intervention and treatment programs, and effective neighborhood restoration programs must all be leveraged and coordinated throughout the city. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We just have to be committed to a comprehensive strategy. | I do favor term limits. All local offices with the exception of constitutional officers have term limits. Term limits are important because it allows for fresh new leadership, with fresh new ideas. You never want to allow the leadership to go stale. The majority of constituents in our city favor term limits for the exact same reason. Eight years in one position as a public servant is enough. | I truly believe that I am the best person for this job, for this time in our city’s history. I see a great disconnect between the sheriff’s office and the community. I will bridge this gap. We must shed the label as the murder capital and violent crime capital of the state. I have the law enforcement experience to understand how the office functions. I have the ability to collaborate to solve problems. |
| John Rutherford (incumbent) Republican | How to continue driving down the Jacksonville crime rate beyond the historic lows of the past two years while keeping the lowest cost per capita of policing of any Florida urban area. | We have four primary strategies: 1. Further develop the nationally recognized intelligence-led policing unit while fighting crime effectively and reducing costs. 2. Expand community involvement through community-led problem-solving initiatives. 3. More force multipliers like Community Service Officers. 4. Continue our groundbreaking efforts in Lean policing. | I do not favor term limits for the office of Sheriff. Leading a large law enforcement agency requires very specific law enforcement knowledge, skills and ability that can only be obtained through years of training and experience. It also requires sustained leadership to embed a culture of excellence and to develop leaders who can drive that excellence. | A proven record of leadership over the past eight years. We have built a nationally recognized intelligence-led policing unit while fighting crime and reducing costs. The 2003 Ten Point Plan has proven hugely successful in aligning the JSO workforce. We have created a CSO program to save tax dollars and make policing more efficient and effective. We have driven double-digit crime decreases for the past two years now down to 1983 levels. |