A trio of Republicans running for Denton County sheriff were among the candidates making a stop at the University of North Texas on Wednesday evening for a candidate forum hosted by the North Texas College Republicans and the Conservative Republican Toastmasters.
The forum, held in a packed room at the University Union, gave candidates a chance to lay out their qualifications for office as well as answer voter questions.
Incumbent Sheriff Benny Parkey kicked off the forum with a recap of his early career in law enforcement, his qualifications for sheriff and what defines him as a Republican.
"If I am chosen for another term, which I hope I am, I can promise you we will continue the efforts we made, … the progress we made," he said.
Challenger William B. Travis noted his military and federal background, as well as service with the Dallas Police Department, as a volunteer firefighter, and in Coast Guard and Air Force law enforcement. Travis rattled off some crime stats for Denton County, vowing to do something about them if elected.
Travis said he is the only candidate who has started and maintained two businesses in Denton County. The sheriff's department is a business and should be run by someone with business experience, he said.
Parkey's other challenger is Jesse Flores, a Fort Worth native whose career in law enforcement began in Lewisville. He said he pushed building a rapport with that community because it takes a team effort for a department to accomplish its goals.
A number of constable candidates were on hand to put their qualifications and plans in the spotlight. They included Michael Truitt in Precinct 2, Barry Minoff in Precinct 3,
Tim Burch in Precinct 4,
Doug Boydston and Dale Chegwidden in Precinct 5 and Douglas Lee in Precinct 6.
High on the list of their priorities were fixing equipment to better serve the community, and addressing arrest warrant and truancy issues.
Because of time and the number of candidates, each was given a minute to answer each of three questions.
The first was on how the candidates would work toward the goal of reducing crime.
Sheriff candidate Travis said community policing and Crime Stoppers would help as well as having deputies more visible in the community.
Parkey said the best way to prevent crime would be to reach young people before they go down a criminal path.
Flores said education is key to preventing crime, and the department should build partnerships with the community and other law enforcement agencies.
The second question was how the candidates would save the county money.
Travis said grants are available that would offset some costs for the department, and he would get them to make sure the sheriff's office is well funded without using more taxpayer money.
Flores said going after felony and misdemeanor warrants is important. "Unpaid money is out there, and we need to hold people accountable for their actions," he said.
The last question was on the most important thing the candidate would seek to improve.
"Jailers haven't had a pay raise in three years," Travis said. "They keep our bad guys locked up and they do a good job, and I want to find other innovative ways to pay them more than they are making now."
Parkey said he will improve call response time and responsiveness to the community, while Flores pledged fairness in the department.
Before dismissing the forum for the evening, Labib Basta, treasurer for the Toastmasters, thanked those in attendance and gave some advice to voters.
"It's not easy to run for public office," he said. "These guys are really heroes for running for office, and running for a law enforcement office, that's even a bigger thing. We thank you for your efforts and enthusiasm. You are the voter - the employer. You are going to hire someone new to enforce the law. I want you to vet each candidate, hold them accountable.
"And all the candidates here, be humbled when you get elected or re-elected, because that is a public service."
BJ LEWIS can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is blewis@dentonrc.com.
