DRUGS, 911 CENTER ARE ISSUES IN THE SIMPSON SHERIFF'S RACE

Joe Palma says one of the biggest problems he faces as Simpson County
sheriff is drugs. He thinks it's time to find another way to treat the problem.

"Education doesn't appear to be making great leaps and bounds," said Palma,
who has been sheriff since 1994.

He said the county needs to look at innovative programs to treat addiction.
More school resource officers also are needed, Palma said.

Law enforcement officers need to work up the ladder to the source of the
drug problem.

"We're not going to stop it by getting the guy on the street," Palma said.

The drug of choice is becoming methamphetamine, Palma said.

"Anybody can make it, which makes it hard to fight," he said.

Brent Deweese, one of the challengers in the Democratic primary, says the
drug problem needs to be addressed by increased education and treatment
programs.

More jobs need to be created so that the people of Simpson County don't
turn to drugs to support their families, Deweese said.

"We have a group here who don't know any other way," he said.

A second school resource officer needs to be hired to forge a good
relationship with children, he said.

"I think we can reach our younger children and reach them before we have a
negative relationship with them," said Deweese, who has helped coach
children's sporting teams. He also has worked with schools in his position
as a Herff Jones agent - a scholastic products company.

Democrat Gene Starks said education hasn't stopped the drug problem.

"We're going to have to find a different approach," Starks said. "To stop
it is almost impossible, we'll just have to control it."

Starks, who retired from the sheriff's department as a detective in January
to run for sheriff, said the new 911 center is also a hot issue. "It seems
to be No. 1 on everybody's agenda," Starks said.

He said the county does need the new center; he just wishes that the plan
was worked into the construction of the new sheriff's office. The county
will have to train the new operators to run the new center.

"At this point, I don't know how many operators would be willing to make
the change," Starks said.

Starks was with the sheriff's office more than 20 years.

The three candidates vying to replace long-time Jailer James Mooneyhan -
all Democrats - want to make sure they know where all inmates are,
including those on work release programs.

"People in Franklin want to know who the inmates are," John Chaney said. He
would try to find a way to identify the inmates out in the field. Chaney,
who was a deputy jailer for two years, doesn't want to embarrass the inmates.

"These people are human and are trying to get out and make their life
better," Chaney said.

He also wants to watch jail spending.

"Our budget's tight," Chaney said.

Operating procedures need to be standardized to make sure everyone is
treated fairly and equally, Chaney said.

Steve Kelley, who runs a lawn care business and drives a commercial truck,
said the community wants better supervision of inmates.

"They want the inmates monitored a little closer," Kelley said. "I'd like
to know where they're at."

He also wants to keep state inmates coming into the jail to keep state
money coming in.

Drugs are also a problem in the jail.

"You're going to have that in every jail," Kelley said. "Every jail needs
to try to stop it."

Kelley has some other changes to implement.

"I don't really want it to be a place you want to come back to," Kelley
said. "There's always room for improvement."

Danny Booher, who worked as a deputy sheriff for 13 years until recently,
wants to keep the jail full with state inmates to get funding from the state.

"A lot of that is going to depend on our ability to keep the facility at
capacity," Booher said.

He wants to follow up on work release programs and supervise the inmates more.

"I've always been big on accountability," Booher said.

He wants to know where every inmate is at all times.

Educational programs for inmates need to be expanded, Booher said.

"Any kind of education is a benefit to them to get them back in society,"
he said.