BENTONVILLE -- The candidates seeking the Republican Party's nomination for Benton County sheriff had another opportunity Tuesday night to present their messages to voters in their attempts to win the primary election.
Sheriff Kelley Cradduck, Lowell Police Lt. Paul Pillaro, Siloam Springs Police Cpl. Timothy Filbeck and Sheriff's Office Maj. Shawn Holloway are the four Republicans vying for the position.
There are four candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Benton County sheriff. Glenn Latham is running as an Independent and will face the winner of the Republican primary in November. The primary election is March 1. Early voting begins Feb. 16 and continues through Feb. 29.
Source: Staff Report
The four spoke Tuesday at a program sponsored by the Benton County Farm Bureau and it was held in White Lecture Hall at Northwest Arkansas Community College. They each had five minutes to speak, but questions weren't asked of the candidates during the program.
Pillaro said he's passionate about law enforcement and is driven to serve because of his relatives that were murdered due to domestic abuse.
Pillaro said as sheriff he wants to rebuild the Sheriff's Office's relationship with other law enforcement agencies in the county so there would be more cooperation and teamwork among the agencies.
According to Pillaro, he also wants to see deputies patrolling more in the unincorporated areas of the county.
Pillaro said he also wants to expand the Sheriff's Office's Police Athletic League Program to help more children. Pillaro also plans if elected to make hiring veterans a preference for his administration.
Filbeck wants to restart the DARE program and start a Junior Deputy program and BB Club to reach out and help children. Filbeck also wants to start a Highway Safety Program for the Sheriff's Office.
Filbeck also said it's important to rebuild the cooperation between the Sheriff's Office and other municipalities.
He began his public safety career as a firefighter before moving into law enforcement and working as a deputy in the jail and then in field and later becoming an investigator and leading the criminal investigation division.
Filbeck said he's the only candidate that has worked in a jail and that experience separates him from his opponents.
Cradduck, who's seeking his third term, said he served 2 1/2 decades in law enforcement and the military. Cradduck said he's the only veteran in the race.
Cradduck said he has lived up to his campaign promises, which included tackling gang activity. Cradduck said under his administration gangs were targeted and pushed out of Benton County.
Cradduck also argued his deputies are in unincorporated areas of the county. Cradduck said data shows the deputies average 125 calls per day in unincorporated areas. He urged people to look at the data and see how much his deputies work in unincorporated areas.
Cradduck, 45, of Rogers is charged with tampering with a public record, a Class D felony; and tampering, a Class A misdemeanor. The charges were filed on Monday against Cradduck. His arraignment is scheduled for 8 a.m Feb. 22 in Circuit Judge Robin Green's court.
Cradduck didn't mention the criminal case, but did mention ethics violations filed against him. Cradduck said one of the people who filed the ethics violations challenged him to fight via Facebook and the other person he refused to give him a commission. He didn't mention the names of the individuals, but said they were in the audience.
According to Cradduck, he's being attacked personally instead of professionally for a reason. "They don't want to attack me professionally so I get attacked personally," he said.
Cradduck said hasn't suddenly become this monster "they" are trying to make him out to be.
He thanked his family, friends and supporters for sticking with him.
Holloway said he believes the Sheriff's Office needs to be more visible and accessible. Holloway said they need more community policing and deputies getting out in the rural areas and in the cities.
Holloway said it's important to use statistical data in targeting crime for their special operations deputies, which include drug and gang crimes.
Holloway also stressed the Sheriff's Office needs to develop relationships and work with other law enforcement agencies. "We have to do it together and not try to take it over, Holloway said.
Holloway said it's important the sheriff has that working relationship with other agencies and he also said it's important the sheriff has integrity.
Candidates for county judge, justice of the peace, state legislature, district judge and constable also had an opportunity to speak during the program.
NW News on 02/03/2016