The four candidates vying to become Fayette County’s next sheriff laid out their plans and goals to the public at a forum in downtown Fayetteville Thursday evening.

Barry Babb and Thomas Mindar explained how and why they’d like to get more patrol units on the road via a reorganization of the department.

Babb noted in particular that the sheriff’s department has an average response time now of 12 minutes and he’d like to see that improved. Mindar said he wants to combine the traffic and patrol deputies to get more cars on the road, and his goal is to make sure that criminals have to pass a patrol car before they get out of the county on Ga. Highways 85, 314 and 279 in north Fayette.

Babb said he wants to establish a precinct in north Fayette to shorten response times, but Wayne Hannah said he’d rather have those deputies on the road with computers in their cars so they can type in reports and remain visible to the public.

“Visibility is real important for crime prevention,” Hannah said.

Hannah said a precinct would be costly to build and staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But Mindar said the county would be willing to host it at the new Kenwood Park, and he didn’t think it would need to be staffed all the time.

Dave Simmons didn’t broach the patrol manpower or precinct issues but said he wants the sheriff’s office to do more to combat crime at the Fayette Pavilion shopping center, such as the use of undercover officers making arrests to convince criminals “they can’t come to Fayette County and steal.”

Simmons said he wants to create a task force with members from Fayetteville, Tyrone and Peachtree City’s police departments so they can work cases all over the county including at the Pavilion.

Simmons said he’s talked to “a ton of people” who have had their purses and wallets stolen from them while shopping at the Pavilion.

Mindar said he wants to “clean up” the Pavilion by working with the city of Fayetteville. The Pavilion is in the city limits but can also be worked by the sheriff’s department, Mindar said.

Simmons also said he wants to utilize his expertise from the Detroit Police Department in “breaking up gangs” to “once and for all end gang activity in Fayette County and protect our county.” He also said he wanted to create a reserve unit so citizens could volunteer to help patrol the county.

Mindar said he wants to combat gangs by working closer with police in Fayetteville, Clayton County and Spalding County in large part by dedicating a deputy to dealing with gang incidents.

“We need to get with the Fayetteville PD and follow their lead. They are doing a great job,” Mindar said.

Simmons pointed out the recent robbery of the manager of the T.J. Maxx and the recent kidnapping of a businessman at a local gas station as signs that crime is becoming more intense in Fayette County.

He also mentioned that some criminals were stealing grave markers in the county.

“This is unacceptable,” Simmons said, adding that he wants criminals to again fear crossing Ga. Highway 138 into Fayette County, a fear which he asserts does not exist today.

Hannah said one of the first things he’d do if elected would be to audit the department’s physical assets and accounts, including the federal drug forfeiture fund which consists of money taken from drug dealers and used to purchase equipment and pay for training.

Hannah agreed with Babb that the department has good people, but “I think we need to come together and work together more.”

Mindar, asked by the panel what he thinks of the relationship between the department and Fayette’s other police agencies, said “I think it’s much better now that Chief Murray left,” referring to retired Peachtree City police chief James Murray.

Mindar added that the officers in the departments have always worked well with each other, and he’d like to see the sheriff’s department deputize the cities’ detectives so they will have the police power to seek arrest warrants in other counties instead of relying on having those warrants taken in the other jurisdictions.

Mindar said he thinks its important to have Peachtree City participate on the drug task force operated by the sheriff’s department, even if some policies have to be changed to accommodate the city’s accreditation standards.

Babb said he would continue the sheriff’s department’s policy of working large drug cases outside of the county as currently occurs with the DTF. The reason is that by stopping suppliers, DTF agents can keep those drugs from being distributed to Fayette County, even if the busts are in other counties in the metro area, Babb said.

Babb lauded the Fayette DTF as being the best in the state, which drew a round of applause from a large group of sheriff’s department employees who attended the event.

Mindar said he wants to change how the jail is operated, making inmates remain locked in their cells for 23 hours of the day and having them work for the one hour they’re out of their cells. He said criminals want to some to Fayette’s jail because they are allowed to watch TV, play basketball and congregate in a commons area.

Mindar also said he wanted to offer classes at the jail for inmates such as financial management classes for those jailed for passing bad checks. Such classes are usually offered by the state probation office but only after the criminal is released from jail, Mindar said.

Mindar added that the jail’s unused space could be used to house inmates from other jurisdictions as a way to boost the department’s revenue. He said some cost savings could be achieved by having two deputies share a car, since often times a second deputy is called to the same scene for backup.

Mindar said he’d like for the department’s helicopter to be used at night for patrols and assisting on chases and the location of criminals hiding from deputies. He also said he wants the department to look into leasing a more modern helicopter that could stay in the air longer and carry more weight.

Simmons said he wanted to evaluate the sheriff’s office, including a reading of the personnel file of each employee, as one of his first tasks in office along with audits of the department’s financial accounts. He added that he believes in having an open door with employees for communication and that he believes one way to get the most out of employees is to praise them for good work.

To address dwindling revenues, Babb said putting more officers on the streets will result in less overtime, and he added that the new Dodge Charger police vehicles have better gas mileage than the Ford Crown Victoria cars, saving money on gas.

Asked how gas prices would affect the quality and amount of patrols, Babb said he would look to cut in other areas of the department’s budget such as uniform expenses before cutting gas for patrol cars.

Simmons said he would like to expand the DARE drug resistance education program into the middle and high schools, since those students receive peer pressure to drink and use drugs, including tobacco.

Mindar said he agreed that the DARE program is important to help police interact with youth so the children understand the officers aren’t out to get them, but are instead normal people just like them. He added that it made sense to have more school resource officers in part because the Board of Education pays half their salaries.

He also noted that a few years back Whitewater High School wanted to have a drug dog located at the school, which Mindar supports, but he said the sheriff’s department didn’t make it happen.
“I don’t know why we didn’t,” Mindar said.

Babb said one of the reasons that the county is experiencing more burglaries is due to the poor economy.

Babb was the only candidate who chose not to ask a question of another candidate. Hannah’s question was directed at Babb, asking if he’d stay at the department even if he’s ultimately not elected.

Babb said he has considered not returning to law enforcement if not elected, in part because he “felt uneasy” after he previously told Hannah that if he (Babb) was elected sheriff that the jobs of Hannah and his wife, who runs the department’s DARE unit, “would be safe.” Babb said at that time Hannah didn’t reciprocate, which left him wondering about the matter.

Plus, Babb said, his wife might be having ideas of getting him out of law enforcement if he loses the election.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Babb cracked, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Mindar got some laughs when he followed up by saying he hoped Hannah would ask him the same question that Hannah asked Babb.

Mindar asked Simmons what he proposed to do to fight crime in Fayette. Simmons said he wanted the community to be involved and he particularly wants to educate the community on how not to be a victim of crime. He also wants to get involved in neighborhood watch programs and other “different programs” he will evaluate.

Hannah said his experience in being a division director and also in working with the county commission on budget issues will help smooth the transition from the current leadership of Sheriff Johnson.

Simmons touted his education and training experience along with the department’s need to "work smarter, faster and safer.” Simmons also said he wants to “put the fear of God” back in criminals.

Babb noted that he counted up the staff the other day and determined that he either trained or worked alongside 59 percent of the staff and said he could provide stability to the department.

The forum was sponsored by the Metro Fayette Kiwanis Club.