Harrison County sheriff candidates face off in debate at MGCCC
In a bid to secure the Harrison County Sheriff’s seat, Louis Elias and Matt Haley engaged in a debate earlier this evening.
The event took place at a dedicated space within MGCCC’s Harrison County campus and drew a larger crowd than organizers had anticipated.
More than 200 spectators eagerly filled the room, seeking answers to their questions and hoping to determine which Republican candidate would succeed Sheriff Troy Peterson.
The audience eagerly awaited the candidates’ positions on crucial issues such as recruitment efforts, school safety, and drug trafficking. Long Beach resident Michael McGill said, “They were both right… when it came to what’s important, we protect our children. But we have the facilities are already here… the policies are already in place. We need to get more law enforcement officials in here like Matt said that we need to bring in more officers. We need to fill those positions throughout the schools, canine units, within the jail and things like that. So, once we get more officers in the county, we can provide better security for everyone.”
Gulfport resident Ashley Comstock said, “One of the major points Elias made today was that we need to be more proactive and not reactive. We can’t wait for a bad situation to happen, particularly in our school as he mentioned, where our children are so vulnerable, where there is currently no plan.”
The election for the next Harrison County sheriff is August 8th.
