Former Whitfield County sheriff Jim Stafford wants his old job back, and he says he wants to make community patrols a priority.
Current Sheriff Scott Chitwood says he’s looking for four more years to add to his 20 in office, and he stands on his record of having built and maintained a capable, professional force.
Both men addressed a small luncheon gathering sponsored by the League of Women Voters Tuesday at Western Sizzlin. The two sheriff candidates face off in the Nov. 6 general election with Chitwood running as a Democrat and Stafford as a Republican.
Chitwood cited his record as a reason to vote for him, which he said includes steeply curtailing gang crimes, building relationships with other law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), participating in a federal program that allows local law enforcement officers to more easily identify people who are in the country illegally, and helping educate the community on the need to report domestic violence.
Stafford said he wants to increase community patrols to make the county safer and better use resources. He said he doesn’t anticipate needing more staff to do it. Stafford is corporate security manager for Beaulieu of America and was sheriff of Whitfield County from 1984 to 1988. He has experience working at the Dalton Police Department and as a deputy sheriff/investigator at the sheriff’s office.
The candidates fielded questions from audience members for about 40 minutes.
Visitor Georginia Craig asked whether the number of thefts was down in the area after previously being high. Chitwood said the number has fallen and dropped within the city limits, which are patrolled by the Dalton Police Department, too, but that they’ll never disappear completely.
Stafford said the number of thefts is likely to increase is the economy gets worse. He said someone recently stole some six-foot metal fence posts that were holding up one of his campaign signs, apparently wanting them for the value of the metal.
“Somebody is stealing the fence posts. So that’s getting bad,” he said. “We’ve lost 67 signs in the last 60 days. That just shows you what people will do.”
Gang activity has became an issue of discussion in the last election, Chitwood said, but it has died down since then. Chitwood said gang crimes have significantly decreased under his tenure since the sheriff’s office began working with a regional group of law enforcement agencies to combat the problems.
Stafford said gangs were around even back in the late 1960s when he was working for the city police department.
“Because of the enforcement efforts, they have kind of dispersed into the background,” Stafford said. “They’re still there. They still function, but they’re not as obvious as they were before... My opinion of gangs is if you are a gang member or have a gang member in your family, you don’t need to live in Whitfield County. The people need to be protected, and the people don’t need it here.”
Chitwood said his department works closely with other nearby agencies, including law enforcement in Chattanooga, to swap intelligence as gang members move around.
“The level of incidences that were reported (of gang activity in Whitfield County) several years ago have gone from here” — holding his hand high — “to here” — dropping it — “and I’m proud to say that. Drugs remain to be a problem. They will always be a problem.”
Although the sheriff doesn’t make laws, the two responded to questions about the legalization of currently illegal drugs, essentially saying they agreed on that issue.
“I cringe at the thought of it,” Stafford said. “No way, not even marijuana, please!”
“We don’t need any more encouragement,” added Chitwood.
The nonpartisan League’s mission is to educate voters on the issues and provide opportunities for the public to learn more about the candidates.
Local News
Related Photos
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Marlene Cady, of Dalton, asks Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood a question as sheriff candidate Jim Stafford listens during a question and answer session at the League of Women Voter's meeting on Tuesday. (Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)
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Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood speaks as sheriff candidate Jim Stafford listens during a question and answer session at the League of Women Voter's meeting on Tuesday. (Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)
Discussion
October 17, 2012
Whitfield sheriff candidates talk drugs, thefts
- Local News
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‘I’ve got to protect myself somehow’
A small house on Gay Street was the scene where Frank Bozzie ran over Horace Morgan with a pickup truck on June 10, according to Sheriff Scott Chitwood. (File photo by Misty Watson/The Daily Citizen)
A man police say was murdered when his attacker ran over him in his yard with a pickup truck told a 911 operator the offender broke in his house and began threatening him.
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