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Monday, November 3, 1997 Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff Election Debate Guests: Incumbent Charles Lamar and Harold Mazza This evenings event was an election debate between incumbent Sheriff Charles Lamar and his opponent, Harold Mazza, prosecuting attorney. The debate was a formal, structured campaign debate. Rules for the Debate: · Each candidate was given the opportunity for an opening statement of position. · Questions were then taken from the audience in turn. · Candidates were to answer in alternating order, each candidate having the opportunity to respond. · Each candidate was given a maximum of a one minute response to each question. · Each candidate was given a two minute rebuttal period at the close of questions, the opportunity to refute the opponents statements made in the debate. · Finally, each candidate had a summation of two minutes. See the campaign literature for Sheriff Lamar for his background. Some additional background on Harold Mazza follows. Harold Mazza: · attended both undergraduate and law school at Ole Miss · practices law in Oxford - has own office · specializes in criminal prosecutions · has never held elected office before · his fundamental platform is that the incumbent is not competent for the job · he is a Republican and has the backing of the party Moderator = Debate Moderator C Lamar = Charles Lamar, incumbent Sheriff H Mazza = Harold Mazza, challenger Question = audience question posed Opening Remarks and Debate Transcript: Moderator: Good evening, Gentlemen. C Lamar: Good evening. Is Mr. Mazza here yet? H Mazza: <smiles> Right here! Good evening! C Lamar: Hello, Harold. C Lamar: Are there rules for this debate? H Mazza: I believe so, Sheriff. This is a formal debate, sir. C Lamar: 2 minutes for each opening statement? Moderator: Each opponent will have two minutes for their opening statement. Questions will be taken from the audience in turn. If the first question is asked to the Sheriff then the next question will go to Mr. Mazza. You each have one minute to answer each question. After questioning we will have a two minute rebuttal period. Each candidate will get a chance to answer each question. If the Sheriff answers the first question first then Mr. Mazza gets to answer the second question first Any questions? C Lamar: Do I go first,? With my statement? Moderator: Yes Sheriff, you take the lead. C Lamar: Thank you, I appreciate the opportunity to be here tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, I run on my record. I have been the Sheriff here for a long time and the county is in better shape today than it has ever been. I feel that we need to crack down on small crime to make sure that these perpetrators donÕt go on to bigger crimes. Recently, my department began writing more traffic tickets in order to make our streets safer for everyone. My platform has always been and continues to be the fact that I have established excellent relations with other departments in this State and across the Country. Since September, I have to admit that my attention has been somewhat occupied by my personal search for my missing daughter, Macy Lamar. I have attempted to delegate some responsibility and have been criticized for it. I can only say that my heart is breaking over the absence of my only child. Thank you. Moderator: Thank you, Sheriff . Are you ready, Mr. Mazza? H Mazza: Yes, I am, thank you. <smiles> Good evening everyone, it is a pleasure and an honor to be here tonight with you all. <smiles> IÕd like to first make the statement, that I feel I am truly better suited for the position of Sheriff, and would be most honored to serve the fine citizens of Yoknapatawpha County. What IÕd like to achieve is to crack down heavily on crime, harsher penalties, and call for a strengthening in law enforcement around this area. Recent events have led me to believe that this just isnÕt happening to the extent that it should. Even the increase of enforcement on minor offenses still doesnÕt seem to be working. IÕve been going home to home and speaking with the public, and it would seem that you all agree. We need to work together as a community in stopping crime. In short, IÕd like to bring about major changes in the enforcement of laws in our fine county. Thank you. Moderator: Opens the floor for questions. Question: This question is addressed to Mister Mazza, because I know what the SheriffÕs answer is going to be. If youÕre elected, what will you do about the disappearance of Macy Lamar? H Mazza: Well, I will step up the investigation and ask for complete cooperation of all law enforcement in our state and even ask for help from the FBI. A missing child is an extremely serious matter, and I will do everything in my power to bring her home, as I would with any child. C Lamar: I have a comment to make here. Moderator: Sheriff Lamar. C Lamar: As for other departments, we have had 11 other departments engaged in the search for my daughter. I have created and maintained excellent communications with other law enforcement agencies. I think the search for my daughter has been handled very well by my officers and my department in general. Question: Mr. Mazza, who are your major campaign contributors? C Lamar: <wonders if this is a debate, all the questions are for one person> H Mazza: I have the endorsement of the Oxford Eagle, Daily Mississippian, the endorsement of the DA, and a few endorsements from local firms and small businesses in the area. Question: If re-elected Sheriff, what improvements to the DepartmentÕs security will be made immediately? C Lamar: I have already instituted shift changes and revised the transport requirements for all prisoners. I feel that the Department happened to be understaffed the day of the escape. It was an unforseeable mishap that I regret greatly. I feel however, that my ÒesteemedÓ opponent has unfairly taken advantage of this. Moderator: Mr. Mazza. H Mazza: Yes, thank you. Under my administration, I would revamp the entire system of law enforcement. IÕd look into funds in order to hire more officers to keep from such ÔmishapsÕ as the Sheriff so lightly stated. C Lamar: <humph> H Mazza: I felt that the whole process of how that transport was handled was complete naively. That is something that I hope to correct if elected. Question: Sheriff, are you a Democrat or Republican, and be specific on why you would be a better Sheriff than your opponent. C Lamar: In this County, it is not required that one run for a political party in the election for county jobs. However, I will state that I am as caring as a Democrat and as tough on crime as a Republican. I am also far more experienced than my opponent whose only contact with criminals has been in a court room. Moderator: Mr. Mazza. H Mazza: Well, I have the backing of the Republican party, and therefore I am running as one. I admit IÕve had less experience as a politician, however, I cannot see how I could do a worse job than is being done. Question: What types of crime prevention programs do you plan to create or use in order to prevent crimes? Moderator: Mr. Mazza. H Mazza: I believe that we need to instill a curfew in the County for the protection of our youth, work more with the community on crime prevention and neighborhood watches, we need to crack down harder on criminals, work more as a unit than is being done, bring crime prevention into the schools to teach children how to protect themselves from criminals, and use the funds to revamp the enforcement agency itself - bring in new officers, have the veteran officers on the force studying other areas and forms of law enforcement for new tactics. I feel strongly that crime has not been taken seriously thus far as evinced by the blunder in the transport. There should have been more officers. Moderator: Sheriff Lamar. C Lamar: During my administration, the SheriffÕs Department has already instituted many fine programs, including <in case he didnÕt read it> academy training for all the officers, school crossing programs, harder force on school zones, the DARE program and Officer Bob, who goes to the schools to teach the children about the police, how to avoid crime, etc. Additionally, many Neighborhood watch programs already exist in our County and it is not the function of the Sheriff to institute such groups but to assist the community in forming them. My officers are better trained today than they have ever been. The day of the escape there were two officers in the van. There would not have been room for more. It was an unfortunate accident. H Mazza: And no surrounding escorts? What kind of agency are you running? Moderator: Sir, next question please. H Mazza: Sorry, that was out of line. Moderator: This will be the last question prior to closing remarks. Question: Sheriff, why did you refuse to take a lie detector test, and why were you understaffed on the day of the accident? C Lamar: I took a lie detector test. I felt that by being asked to take one it was a besmirchment on my office and my record of running it. I still think it was a political tactic on the part of my opposition to insist on it. But I took it and I passed it. For the sake of my daughter. As for the day of the accident there was a big game at Ole Miss, two officers called in sick and were later disciplined for being at the game. H Mazza: Sheriff it was NO political tactic, you are paranoid. C Lamar: Mr. Mazza, this is a political debate and accusations of paranoia are out of place here. H Mazza: IÕm sorry sir, but to be frank, you accused my office as having set up a lie detector test as a political tactic. When IÕd like to know how you could assume that my office could..... Moderator: Gentlemen.... C Lamar: I said it was politically motivated. H Mazza: ...have anything to do with that when your wife had taken one, and you wouldnÕt. Moderator: Gentlemen. C Lamar: Mr. Mazza, go ahead. I TOOK ONE. H Mazza: After some coddling, yes, you did. Moderator: Sheriff Lamar did take the lie detector test. C Lamar: I resent that remark. H Mazza: But I remember you being strictly against it. C Lamar: Yes, it was an insult to my office Moderator: Oh my, Gentlemen . H Mazza: IÕm sorry. Moderator: Are we ready for closing statements? H Mazza: I will begin my closing statements. This evening, we have all heard the arguments. I admit having less experience, but I feel it is my duty to run and make change that is not occurring to help our County. Recent events have convinced me that our Sheriff has not been doing the job that you all deserve as protection to your neighborhoods and workplaces. I will work hard to demand higher expectations of the law enforcement here set forth by this community. I am an excellent prosecutor, and I would make an excellent Sheriff, I know the law and live it. Under my administration, our neighborhoods would be safer under a stricter law enforcement. I live in Oxford, and I have seen safety go out the window in the past weeks. I only ask that you think responsibly when going to the voting centers tomorrow. I will work hard to make sure that we are never understaffed, that all cases are worked on to the best ability and newest possible techniques. In conclusion, IÕd like you all to think about ... C Lamar: Uh, when is the bell here? H Mazza: ...the safety of this town, and how it has been handled in the past few months. If elected, I will promise you all that I will work to the best of my ability to make Oxford a safer place. Thank you all. C Lamar: I believe I get a chance to make a statement? Moderator: Sheriff Lamar. C Lamar: My opponent has little or no experience in law enforcement. He is an attorney and while he maintains a residence here he also frequents other cities in MS. He is an attorney not a cop. He makes excellent and long speeches that I cannot compete with. I am not a politician, just your Sheriff and I have done a fine job in this County for many years. Recent events were unfortunate and not completely in my control. Ed Pierce was a violent man and very hard to catch. There was an unfortunate incident that could have happened in any department. There were no ÒescortsÓ because this county cannot afford that type of thing. We have a budget that must be adhered to. Two officers would normally have been plenty. My ÒesteemedÓ opponent has chosen to point out the problems in my administration rather than my accomplishments. Please remember my long record of law enforcement in this County and vote for me tomorrow. Thank you all for coming. Good night. Moderator: Thank you gentlemen. You have given us a lot to think about. Good night, Sheriff, Mr. Mazza, I wish you both luck in the election. Good luck to Both of you. H Mazza: Thank you all and have a good night. C Lamar: I will be shaking hands in the hall. Thank you all for your support.

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