Sheriff’s candidates speak at Chamber forum

The 2008 candidates for Pima County Sheriff, Sahuarita resident Harry Shaw and incumbent Clarence Dupnik, said border security would be their No. 1 priority if elected in November.

The candidates were in Green Valley on Friday for a “Meet the Candidates” luncheon sponsored by the Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce.

“Illegal immigration is the most difficult problem our country has ever faced,” said Dupnik, 72, a Democrat who has held the office since 1980. “We need to crack down on border crime, but at the same time, if 18 million-to-22 million immigrants were sent back across the border, we’d have a hard time finding a head of lettuce — and if we did, it would cost $10,” he said.

“It’s not a simple matter, and there’s no simple solution.”

Republican candidate Shaw, 57, who works in security at Raytheon Missile Systems, agreed, but said that, as sheriff, he would pay more attention to the county’s outlying communities. Most of the crime in Tucson comes up through the border, he said, and “Green Valley is one of the first lines of defense.”

Shaw, who has more than 30 years experience working in law enforcement as a patrol officer, corrections officer and prison warden said Pima County would benefit from some fresh ideas. One such idea: utilizing the county’s overflow of inmates to save money.

Prisoners could be put to work in chain gangs that perform roadwork or even agricultural labor. This move would benefit both the county and the inmates, Shaw said.

“Pima County can’t rely on the federal government for funding. We need to explore our other options.”

Dupnik spoke to Chamber members about issues the Sheriff’s Department is handling, including a community outreach program starting next month that will educate the public on the threat of terrorism at the border. The department will be partnering with the FBI to enlist the public’s help in spotting potential terrorists, Dupnik said. The program will officially be announced March 17.

So far, Shaw and Dupnik are the only announced candidates running in the Nov. 4 election.

“I planned on retiring at 65, but I guess you could say I’m married to my job,” said Dupnik. “These have been the finest 28 years of my life.”

The luncheon, held at La Posada in Green Valley, was the first of several that will feature a candidates forum, said Chamber member Arturo Gabald—n, who helped organize the event.

Next month’s luncheon will feature local representatives for the 2008 presidential candidates, he said.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726