Three candidates vie for Pima County Sheriff's badge
Longtime incumbent Sheriff Dupnik faces Republican challenger Mark Napier and Green Party candidate Dave Croteau.
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Three candidates vie for Pima County sheriff's badge Video by kgun9.com
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Reporter: Alexis Fernandez
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - At 76, Pima County Sheriff Dupnik is the incumbent in this race with eight terms under his belt.
But his Republican challenger Mark Napier and Green Party candidate Dave Croteau say it's time to for a change.
Nine On Your Side asked Sheriff Dupnik why he should be elected for another four years.
"We took that organization and have turned it to what I consider as fine a law enforcement agency as you can find anywhere," he said.
Dupnik says he's kept his department corruption free and says he's most proud of the line of communication he created between agencies with a radio network for public safety.
"Today we're in a completion phase of the radio project, everything that we've done has involved multi-agencies," said Dupnik.
Dupnik faces two challengers:
Mark Napier, 50, retired from the Tucson Police Department after 28 years. He now works for the University of Arizona overseeing transportations services.
We asked him why voters should elect him.
"I bring a broad base of practical experience but also a wealth of academic experience, academic understanding in social psychology, social strains as it relates to crime,and I think I would serve this community in an enlightened and more energetic way," said Napier.
Napier says he'll take the role of sheriff to a new level -- one with even more community involvement.
"I'd like to re-establish the sheriff as a leadership in Pima County, a visible, engaged leader for Pima County, engaged in non-profits, neighborhood groups, business groups and our schools," he said.
His second challenger, 61-year-old Green Party candidate Dave Croteau is a small business owner and Army Veteran.
Croteau says he has fresh ideas, which include legalizing marijuna.
"I'm offering an alternative to the war on drugs, we have been fighting this war a long time, this month it's been 75 years since there's been a prohibition of cannibus, and I've personally seen the devastation of the last forty to fifty years," said Croteau.
Croteau believes legalizing marijuana would actually reduce crime rate in Pima County.
"As sheriff I will focus on crimes of person and crimes of property before I would enforce an adult having the right to plant a seed and grow a plant," he said.
Three candidates, three visions, vying for only one badge.
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