News : Candidate Forum Summary Sheriff Candidates - Paxton & Upah

There are two candidates running for Benton County Sheriff. Below are the statements made by our candidates. Questions were asked by the public. If the name was clear on the audio recording of those who directed a question to the candidates the name is included. If it was not the question is just listed.

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The first candidate who began with an intro was Ted Paxton, the current Vinton Police Chief. He has been in law enforcement for 29 years with 17 years of those as a Chief of Police in Albion, Eldora and Vinton He also spent 23 years as a Volunteer Fireman.

He's been in Benton County since 2014. He's also the father of six sons, and his wife is a teacher with Vinton-Shellsburg. 

He wants to enhance engagement throughout the county and especially in each of the 20 townships. He also wants to see more visibility in the county and also create satellite offices throughout the county in some of the smaller towns. 

He'd also like to have a presence in the city council meetings across the county, so if there are some needs in a community, they could be brought back to the Sheriff.

He'd like the office to be open to tour by the community, possibly have some open houses to visit the inner workings like dispatch. 

Second to take the podium was Dave Upah. Born and raised in Benton County, he has been with the Sheriff's office for 18 years. He would like to change the culture in Benton County. He said that there are a lot of young guys starting out and he would like to redirect them and help them to become great deputies. He'd like them to be proactive, go out and meet people in the county, attend city council meetings and do whatever they need to do. He said that the citizens are the best assets in the county and they know what's going on. 

He said that he wants to be the point of contact. He said that sometimes it feels like sometimes things are pushed to the side and he wants to be the contact. He wants to make sure that things are taken care of. Sometimes he feels like there's miscommunication but he wants to redirect the deputies to come to him with issues. He said he knows that there are problem areas in the county and he wants to put pressure on the bad guys, harrass them and get them out of the county. 

Drew Sallee - What have you gained from campaigning in the county?

Upah - I felt like I was talking to my friends and family. The support has been spectacular. 

Paxton - It's been a new experience and he's been to communities that accepted him and was a stranger to most of them. He enjoyed meeting with people that never expected to see a sheriff's candidate knocking on their door. 

Lance Lillibrige - How do you feel about speed cameras in the county?

Paxton - "I don't like them, I think they are a money grab. It's an extra tax on the citizens. They are only advantageous to the companies that install them." The city would receive a 70/30 split, but he couldn't see the benefit.

Upah - He is totally against them. He feels that it takes away due process and that they are unconstitutional. He said an officer has to identify the driver and vehicle. Cameras just fine the owner of the vehicle. 

Question - What would you do about crime in the rural areas? (Asked by a resident whose house had been robbed.)

Upah - Crime happens everywhere. Unless there are cameras or evidence left behind, there isn't a lot that can be done. He explained that tv shows ruin the idea of what law enforcement really does and what is possible. 

Paxton - There is basic crime scene investigation that has to be done, canvassing neighbors, and fingerprinting processes and directions for processing a crime. 

Kellie VanRee - Juvenile detention costs a lot, are there plans to be proactive to help reduce the costs to the county? 

Paxton - Juveniles are difficult to handle. The way the court handles it, until they get to the third offense a judge might look at it. Not a lot of referrals go further than that. There are other avenues, placements and shelters, but nothing that really deals with juveniles. 

Upah - The way the courts are only one or two will go to detention unfortunately, that's the way it is. There are waiting lists for everything. The offenders are getting younger, as young as 9,10,11. They can't be put in jail and some of them should be. There just isn't much that can be done.

Question: What is your educational background?

Paxton:  I have a high school diploma, followed by a diploma to be a mechanic. He wasn't impressed with the law enforcement in Albion and as a "put up or shut up" kind of guy, he got into law enforcement and left the community in better shape than when he found it. He also has kept up with all available training. 

Upah: He graduated from high school, and said you can't learn street smarts. He feels like it's an on the job training situation. 

Valerie Close: What are your ideas for communication and transparency with the public?

Upah: I feel like we need to do a better job of communication, sending out press releases, letting the community know what's going on, posts about construction and road construction. I'm fully ready to be transparent. I like the citizens to know what we are doing. 

Paxton: Transparency is indeed a big deal, public concerns sometimes the openness might not be there because of ongoing investigations. He's found that using social media has helped to solve some of the thefts that have been in the area He has also been able to get feedback and they've been able to solve a lot of cases using social media. He mentioned lost pets are easily connected with their owners again usually within in minutes using social media. 

Erica Silbernagel: What is your overall view of mental health for staff and individuals in need? 

Paxton: Mental health has come to the forefront. he explained that when he first started, he was told, "We don't counsel people."  Oaxton explained that we have a mental health liaison in Benton County who does a great job of helping with this in the community. "She's been a great asset," Paxton said. She will be on-site if there is a touchy situation. She helps bring some comfort to those who are experiencing the worst day of their lives. She also has come out to help when there is a loss and the family is reeling from it. He said it's helped having her there to help the family in the grieving part of it. She's been very gracious to help his department. She also visits with officers when there is a situation that Paxton feels an officer might benefit from a sit-down visit with her. 

Upah: Mental health is a hot button issue. The State of Iowa closed down the mental health sites. It's a changing situation. We try to keep people out of jail who have issues. We try to keep them in society and functioning. Sometimes they start to throw drugs on top of it and it creates a terrible situation. We try to be sensitive to the situations and work with them. We figure if we can work with them now it will save time and money later. We try to work with them and not just throw them in jail and forget about them. It's a work in progress.