Taking a look at the Jefferson County Sheriff debate debacle

With elections due in little over a month, I figured it was time to learn more about issues that concern me on a local level.

Aside from the distressing shortage of off-leash dog parks in the city, law and order in Birmingham, Jefferson County and Alabama writ large sits squarely at the top of my list. What could be better than a first-hand look at the candidates for sheriff during a Sunday night debate? I should have rearranged my sock drawer.

I applaud the Phi Iota Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Birmingham Association of Black Journalists for hosting the debate at UAB. It was a standing-room-only crowd and some of Alabama’s best reporters were panelists. Expectations were high. I’m sure like me, most citizens left deflated.

Let me take a look at the sheriff’s debate, which pitted incumbent Republican Sheriff Mike Hale and Democrat challenger Sergeant Mark Pettway.

Mike Hale is a known quantity in Jefferson County. He was the inaugural “Crime Stopper of the Year.” Created the Metro Area Crime Center (MACC) a multi-agency crime-fighting unit, recognized as world’s best practice and has introduced a program to put a Sheriff’s Resource Officer in every Jefferson County School. He had little to prove and much to lose.

Mark Pettway, on the other hand, had everything to prove and little to lose. Regrettably, for the sergeant, he failed on both counts.

Asked by the panel about plans to reduce crime in Jefferson County, Pettway launched into his talking points about body cameras. “This day and age there is no reason why we should not have body cameras,” Pettway said. “It’s a powerful tool to use. … I’ll implement them when I get there day one.”

I agree with Mr. Pettway’s initiative. Body cameras are important to protect the citizenry and deputies. The only problem with the plan – Jefferson County already has body cameras. Fourth generation body cameras, which put it at the forefront of law enforcement nationwide. In fact, an integrated cloud-based camera and recording system is being rolled out next week. Perhaps the sergeant wasn’t at the office and failed to read the memo?

Hale was asked about Pettway’s plan and why the Department didn’t outfit its deputies with body cameras? To quote the Birmingham Times, “he responded that a new generation of body cameras is already being used in Jefferson County and more will be fully implemented the first week in October.” Given Pettway referred to his “body camera plan” for the remainder of the debate, perhaps he wasn’t listening either?

In the wake of recent deadly mass shootings at schools across the nation, the topic rightly turned to protecting students. As an aside, the questioning from the assembled journalists was tepid. They failed to press either candidate on issues, nor did they dispute or query misdirection. The panel format needs some work. But I digress.

Hale outlined his school safety initiative that includes putting a deputy in every school and having a special team trained to spot potential dangers.

“Jefferson County is leading the nation in how we protect our schools and our school children,” Hale said.

Pettway promised to roll out metal detectors, deploy cameras, counselors and psychiatrists at every school. The reporters didn’t ask Pettway how he would pay for all of it? They failed to ask how he would staff hundreds of metal detectors and why every school needs a psychiatrist?

“We will come up with a plan that will have metal detectors placed at every entrance at the school. We are also going to make sure that we have Resource Officers at school. We’re gonna have cameras so we have video at the school, inside and out. Then we wanna make sure we have counselors, psychiatrists at the schools to deal with those that have mental issues. So we have a great plan to put into effect,” Pettway stated.

Let’s end with the “he didn’t actually say that” award, which was entirely self-inflicted. Pettway volunteered a commendable line of duty achievement. An action so commendable, he received a commendation — for showing up.

“My job is to protect. In 2008, right here in Jefferson County at Minor High School, we got a call about intruders in the school with a gun. I responded and I received a commendation for responding,” he explained. “The intruder was gone by the time I got there, but we made sure the premises were safe.”

Interestingly, his campaign website has an entirely more heroic version of the commendation: “2006 – assisted in the lockdown of Minor High school and swiftly captured a trespasser with a handgun.”

Maybe Mark Pettway was just confused?

G.W. Keeley is the Managing Partner of Dreadnaught. He is a retired Lt Commander with service in both the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. He is a veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pacific. LCDR Keeley also served as Senior Advisor to the Vice Chairman of the House Armed Service Committee; the Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee in the US Congress.