SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Sangamon County Sheriff Paula Crouch (pictured, left), a Republican appointed following the retirement of Jack Campbell two years ago, faces general election voters for the first time Nov. 3. Democrat Marc Bell (pictured, right), a former Illinois State Police master sergeant who exited the race and then re-entered it, joined her for a debate Sunday at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, sponsored by the Committee of Springfield, Illinois.

A frequent theme of Bell’s remarks is what he sees as an entrenched “good ol’ boy” system in the Republican-dominated county. He answered a question about Sean Grayson, the deputy with a checkered personal and professional history who killed Sonya Massey two years ago, by saying, “You know when you have a bad actor. Sean was hired because he was somebody’s friend. That will not happen on my watch.” For her part, Crouch said the department has not hired anyone with a DUI conviction (Grayson had two) since she has been sheriff.

With numerous deaths inside the jail over the past several years, safety remains a concern. “We are in the process of adding what we call ‘suicide-safe restroom facilities – sinks and stuff – showers, too,” said Crouch. “They are a work in progress.”

“We are eighteen correctional officers down,” said Bell, as Crouch interjected, “Fourteen!” Bell continued, “That makes the inmates unsafe. That makes the correctional officers unsafe. Some of the watches can’t go by and make sure that these people are not committing suicide because there are not enough people working.”

Bell has a unique approach to compensating for the large land mass of the county: asking Springfield police to patrol unincorporated areas within the city.