I agree and disagree with you! In theory, education for higher level positions makes sense. However, if you read the blogs about PTC's new chief, it seems the 'education' part isn't making citizens happy. It's the plan, action, and management skills that will make for a good leader of the Sheriff's Department. Like I said before, all 4 candidates impressed me at the forum.
I have worked with Mindar and Babb before (when I was at the DA's office). I can tell you that Mindar can hunt down and bring in criminals like no one else. I can tell you that Babb can organize the patrol officers in a hurry (he was very helpful in getting case reports and such to me very quickly). I don't know Simmons or Hannah - but they seem to have useful experience under their belts.

As for the education issue.... I have a degree in Criminal Justice and a degree in Psychology from the University of Alabama (roll tide!). Although I learned theories of how to manage community policing and corrections, the hands-on experience I learned from being a detention officer at the county jail in Tuscaloosa and running the Pre-Trial Diversion program at the DA's office taught me much more about how to handle issues in the criminal justice world.

Although it IS important to have a Sheriff (or any other elected official) that is educated enough to speak and write articulately, hands-on experience is more important than a piece of paper from a University. All four candidates, in my opinion, are educated enough (through hands-on experience and their ability to speak/write answers to questions) to handle the position of Sheriff.

You put that very well.
It is when someone isn't well educated and also are dumb and blunt as a log splitter that their may be a problem.

Successful experience is #1, then educational success.
One can self educate better than any school, can I say.

"Unfortunately the only person with education in the sheriffs race is Simmons and he is not right for Fayette. We don't need the baggage he brings with him."

So, I will pull a skyspy comment, Simmons doesn't have any baggage, he's be gone tooooo long out of law enforcement! Why would anybody suggest that Simmons brings baggage, when he has been a resident of FC for over 10 years? Left Detroit 12 years ago.

Hey, if anything, the baggage is with the 3 other candidates. Check out the other comments, there is loads of baggage coming with these 3 guys.

A clean slate is needed. Vote Simmons!

You have finally seen the reason why we need to HIRE the Sheriff, not elect them!
Or, have a county police force whom we hire, and a sheriff whom we elect as a jail keeper and warrant server for the court. A sheriff IS NEEDED occasionally to arrest city cops and such!