News
Election 2008: Local man moves forward with challenge of Dupnik
 |
| Harry Shaw |
By Jaime Richardson, Green Valley News
Harry Shaw says he prayed about his decision to run for Pima County sheriff.
Fed up with the county’s crime rate, the former Tucsonan and two-year resident of Sahuarita said decided he had to do something about it.
“I don’t want to say that there was some kind of divine intervention, but I will say that I was spiritually motivated to run.”
“This is something I think God wants to see happen.”
Shaw is challenging the seat of Democrat Clarence Dupnik, who has held the position for the past 28 years, one of the longest runs in county history.
Dupnik, 72, has not yet indicated if he will seek re-election, but says he’s “reasonably sure” he’ll run for another term. So far, Shaw, a Republican, is the only announced candidate for the November election.
But Shaw welcomes a challenge.
“The people of Pima County need to decide one thing: What’s their life worth? It’s the job of our senior law enforcement officer to protect the people, and right now he’s not doing anything.”
Shaw says Dupnik is out of touch with the needs of the community, but the sheriff counters that community involvement is one of his strong points.
“I’ve been sheriff 28 years, I’ve lived in the community for over 50 years, and I would say I’m intimately engaged with the people of this county,” Dupnik said.
Shaw recently criticized the incumbent for endorsing the deputizing of U.S. Border Patrol agents, comparing the county and federal agencies with apples and oranges.
Border Patrol agents don’t have the training that a police officer goes through in the academy to detect and investigate crimes and preserve evidence, he said, “and you can’t have the federal government encroaching into your community.”
Shaw, 57, has more than 30 years experience working in law enforcement as a patrol officer, corrections officer, and prison warden. He currently works in security at Ratheon Missile Systems in the plant protection division.
One focus of his campaign will be the number of deputies on the streets; there need to be more of them, Shaw says.
Citing last year’s rash of burglaries in Arivaca, Shaw says the county needs to show a stronger presence in its border communities, which deserve the same attention as Tucson.
This is a difficult feat when you don’t have the resources, he says.
Shaw also endorses tougher sentencing to crack down on criminal activity throughout the county and especially at the border.
“The people want to see someone who’s out there aggressively fighting crime, like (Maricopa County Sheriff) Joe Arpaio, who has an 85 percent approval rate, despite what anybody says.”
“I’m a humanitarian at heart, but I’m going to be tough on crime, no matter where in the county it is, whether it’s in the city limits of Tucson or Green Valley.”
Shaw says he would work to unify the county and include communities such as Sahuarita and Green Valley, which have more political clout than ever before, in the bigger picture. A Pima County sheriff from one such community would help with this process, he said.
The Republican primary is Sept. 2. The general election is Nov. 4, 2008.
Shaw will appear on KGVY 1080’s “Around the Cracker Barrel” on Feb. 15. He also will be speaking at area Republican clubs and plans to organize an event spotlighted for the entire county.
“The people want a change, someone who will be a force in the community, and I’ll do that. I’ll be out there with my people.”
jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726
Fed up with the county’s crime rate, the former Tucsonan and two-year resident of Sahuarita said decided he had to do something about it.
“I don’t want to say that there was some kind of divine intervention, but I will say that I was spiritually motivated to run.”
“This is something I think God wants to see happen.”
Shaw is challenging the seat of Democrat Clarence Dupnik, who has held the position for the past 28 years, one of the longest runs in county history.
Dupnik, 72, has not yet indicated if he will seek re-election, but says he’s “reasonably sure” he’ll run for another term. So far, Shaw, a Republican, is the only announced candidate for the November election.
But Shaw welcomes a challenge.
“The people of Pima County need to decide one thing: What’s their life worth? It’s the job of our senior law enforcement officer to protect the people, and right now he’s not doing anything.”
Shaw says Dupnik is out of touch with the needs of the community, but the sheriff counters that community involvement is one of his strong points.
“I’ve been sheriff 28 years, I’ve lived in the community for over 50 years, and I would say I’m intimately engaged with the people of this county,” Dupnik said.
Shaw recently criticized the incumbent for endorsing the deputizing of U.S. Border Patrol agents, comparing the county and federal agencies with apples and oranges.
Border Patrol agents don’t have the training that a police officer goes through in the academy to detect and investigate crimes and preserve evidence, he said, “and you can’t have the federal government encroaching into your community.”
Shaw, 57, has more than 30 years experience working in law enforcement as a patrol officer, corrections officer, and prison warden. He currently works in security at Ratheon Missile Systems in the plant protection division.
One focus of his campaign will be the number of deputies on the streets; there need to be more of them, Shaw says.
Citing last year’s rash of burglaries in Arivaca, Shaw says the county needs to show a stronger presence in its border communities, which deserve the same attention as Tucson.
This is a difficult feat when you don’t have the resources, he says.
Shaw also endorses tougher sentencing to crack down on criminal activity throughout the county and especially at the border.
“The people want to see someone who’s out there aggressively fighting crime, like (Maricopa County Sheriff) Joe Arpaio, who has an 85 percent approval rate, despite what anybody says.”
“I’m a humanitarian at heart, but I’m going to be tough on crime, no matter where in the county it is, whether it’s in the city limits of Tucson or Green Valley.”
Shaw says he would work to unify the county and include communities such as Sahuarita and Green Valley, which have more political clout than ever before, in the bigger picture. A Pima County sheriff from one such community would help with this process, he said.
The Republican primary is Sept. 2. The general election is Nov. 4, 2008.
Shaw will appear on KGVY 1080’s “Around the Cracker Barrel” on Feb. 15. He also will be speaking at area Republican clubs and plans to organize an event spotlighted for the entire county.
“The people want a change, someone who will be a force in the community, and I’ll do that. I’ll be out there with my people.”
jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726
Copyright © 2010 - Green Valley News and Sun