| Sheriff Milton Wright and GOP primary challenger Billy Frank Teague discussed their biggest concerns for the sheriff's office and why voters should given them the nod Tuesday.
Wright has 45 years of law enforcement experience, including 15 years as a Texas Ranger in Fort Bend County. He is seeking his fourth term as county sheriff. He belongs to several law enforcement and civic organizations.
Teague, commander of the patrol division of the Richmond Police Department, has 40 years of law enforcement experience. In addition to his tenure in Richmond, he has worked in sheriff's offices in Gregg and Fort Bend counties and worked for the Department of Public Safety from 1982 to 2001.
Each candidate was asked two questions.
1. What is one particular issue you are concerned about?
Wright said getting the new jail ready, which is under construction and will open next year, remains a top priority, given that the county has been under the strain of shipping out so many of its inmates to other facilities because of a lack of beds.
“That's our main challenge - to get this jail up and running,” he said.
The new jail will give Fort Bend County 1,980 total beds; the county jail currently has 680.
Another issue he said he will keep his eye on is the crime rate, because the county continues to expand. Still, the crime rate dropped from 2006 to 2007, he said.
Teague said he wants to provide the best public service for the taxpayers and manage the office properly.
“The biggest issue is public safety in a growing county,” he said. He eschews the use of contracts, which he considers a form of double taxation, which are used when a sheriff's office contracts with homeowners to provide service (deputy coverage, in terms of patrolling) to their area for a set fee.
He said the sheriff's office could provide ultimate coverage if it would just properly manage its personnel.
2. Why should voters should pick you and what sets you apart from your opponent?
Wright said his experience and knowledge set him apart.
“If you listen to my opponent and hear all the things he's promising, we're already doing it,” Wright said.
Plus, Wright said he didn't think Teague understood the county jail management system, referring to Teague's stated desire to alleviate overcrowding through better cooperation with district attorneys and judges.
Wright said he also was concerned about how Teague would manage the jail budget and jail itself, explaining he didn't think Teague had a realistic grasp of the situation. Wright said, for example, that Teague would overhaul the jail's trusty program, and that Teague would send them to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Wright said his trusty program is effective and mirrors that of jails in other places.
Teague said he thinks his desire for change gives him the edge.
Teague said he will make the changes the sheriff's office needs because of its growth. He said his breadth of experience exceeds that of Wright, pointing out that he has worked for city, county and state law enforcement agencies.
“I know what we need in this county,” he said.
Teague said Wright doesn't possess the same approach toward the necessity of change for the sheriff's office - Wright is less inclined to make changes, Teague said - and Teague said the sheriff's office is too important to retain the status quo.
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