Shelby County Sheriff candidates make their cases before election day

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The race for Shelby County Sheriff is heating up with less than two months to go before Election Day.

Action News 5’s Andrew Douglas spoke live with the candidates in the studio.

Two candidates, two approaches

Republican Brad Less, a current sheriff’s office lieutenant, says his 30 years in law enforcement, including time with Memphis Police and Shelby County, plus service as a special agent in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve have prepared him to lead the agency.

Democrat Anthony Buckner, the current chief deputy and second-in-command at the sheriff’s office, points to 25 years in the department, including work as an undercover gang investigator.

Action News 5 spoke with both candidates about the ongoing crisis at the Shelby County Jail, their priorities for the next four years, and what they think of each other.

The jail crisis: what they say they’d do first

If elected, both men say their first major challenge would be addressing the immediate problems at the Shelby County Jail.

Less says he wants to separate who is housed downtown by creating two facilities: one for violent offenders and another for nonviolent offenders.

He also says misdemeanor arrests should be moved out of the current jail, arguing too many people are being funneled into one location. Less says potential property near the jail could allow for a new facility to be built quickly.

Buckner says his focus would be reducing the current jail population by moving state inmates into state facilities, adding mental health services, and working closely with prosecutors and judges to move cases faster. He emphasized that he does not want to release people who could be a danger to the public.

Priorities for the next four years

Both candidates raised similar themes when asked about longer-term goals: recruitment, better benefits, retention, and stronger collaboration with other agencies to fight crime.

Pointed exchange on campaigning and funding

During our interview, Less claimed one of the biggest differences between himself and Buckner is that he is “not bought and paid for,” pointing to campaign finances and saying he has contributed personal money to his campaign.

When asked about that allegation, Buckner said he didn’t know exactly what it meant, but said he’s spent the past two years meeting voters across Shelby County and said supporters contribute because they believe in his message. Buckner also said he has deep admiration for Less.

The push to August 6

Both candidates say they’re making a major push for votes ahead of August 6.

Less says rebuilding community trust and strengthening relationships with other agencies will be key to moving Shelby County forward.

Buckner says he sees himself as a “bridge builder” and wants to work with the next county commission and county mayor to start on a clean slate and move forward together.

Campaign money: the latest filings

We also reviewed campaign finance reports. The latest filing shows Buckner with more than $180,000 cash on hand, while Less reported less than $3,000.

If you’d like to review the filings yourself, visit the campaign filing website.

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