Mayoral race focused on safety
October 31, 2014
By Nick Gray
The Lexington mayoral race has been marked by two big differences in policy by incumbent Jim Gray and challenger Anthany Beatty: stances on public safety and UK’s relationship with the city.
On the campaign trail, Beatty has pushed his experience as Lexington police chief and an uptick in homicides over the summer. According to a report from the Lexington Herald-Leader, Lexington typically experiences 14 to 20 homicides a year, with 19 homicides committed last year and 14 committed in 2012.
Beatty, currently the assistant vice president for campus services and public safety at UK, has criticized Gray’s administration for reducing the police force over the course of his four years in office. Beatty said that the city “should not bargain with citizens’ public safety” and that he would add to the police force “off the top of the city budget” if elected.
Beatty said he has the experience to reduce violent crimes and the spread of drugs in Lexington during the candidates’ debate on Tuesday in Worsham Theater.
Gray said increased funding for Lexington police’s drug task forces has helped confiscate millions of dollars of drugs and weapons and helped an otherwise low violent crime rate.
“Any violent crimes are unacceptable,” Gray said Tuesday, adding that Lexington has the lowest violent crime rate for a city of its size in the country. “We are pushing a lot of resources (toward reducing violent crime) and we are facing the fact that drugs are the leading cause of homicides in this city. Our task forces have helped this issue.”
Beatty criticized Gray’s handling of the Rupp Arena renovation project. Beatty called the relationship between the city and UK “fractured,” referencing discussions in which the city used $75 million in public funding for the preparation of renovations that never happened.
Gray said the university’s relationship with the city is not tarnished and that the university and the city have been working since the renovation plans fell through in the spring.
The funds are not completely misused, Gray said, because “the plan is ready” when the time to revisit the renovations is appropriate.
Beatty also said that many other focuses, like helping homelessness and aiding public safety, should hold the mayor’s focus besides renovating the 23,000-seat arena.
“It is the government’s job to provide these services to the people that need them,” Beatty said. “Public safety and the Rupp Arena project are Jim’s big mistakes, and it’s time for proven and good leadership.”
A victory by Gray would give the incumbent a second term, while Beatty would become Lexington’s first black mayor after becoming the city’s first black police chief.
