Gofourth Running for Alcorn County Sheriff

By Josh Mitchell

Corinth Today News Editor

Libertarian Ricky Gofourth is running for Alcorn County Sheriff.

Gofourth has one opponent in the race so far — incumbent Sheriff Ben Caldwell, an independent.

Gofourth said the sheriff’s office needs to “dial back” its actions in several ways. The sheriff’s office should “be an entity for the people” by protecting constitutional rights rather than violating constitutional rights, Gofourth asserted.

For instance, Gofourth said the assets forfeiture process violates constitutional rights when “government agencies take property without due process of law.”

Also, Gofourth said it is unconstitutional to enforce whether people wear seatbelts. It is not the government’s job to force people to protect themselves, he added.

Likewise, people should not be penalized for lacking vehicle insurance, Gofourth said. The government should not require people to buy a product they do not want or need, he added. There must be a victim in order to have a crime, he said.

Gofourth said he would be tough on drug enforcement, especially when it comes to methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl. Hard drugs can lead to violent crimes, such as assault, armed robbery and murder, he noted.

The sheriff works for the people and not for the state and federal government, Gofourth said. He believes the sheriff’s office has become an arm of the state and federal government.

Gofourth is a former sergeant with the Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office, having worked for the county jail and regional correctional facility, he said.

He was also treasurer for the Mississippi Libertarian Party, which, he said, demonstrates his ability to manage money. He is the chairman of the Alcorn County Libertarian Party.

“I believe I can be a good leader for the people,” he said, adding that he has trained in several areas of law enforcement. “I am passionate about protecting constitutional rights.”

He was certified with the Mississippi Department of Corrections as a corrections officer and with the state as a jail officer. These certifications are important to the job since the sheriff is also the county’s chief jailer, Gofourth said. He also trained with the ATF in the area of post-blast investigations.

If elected, Gofourth said he would have an open-door policy to respond to citizens’ questions and concerns.

“The sheriff is 100 percent an employee of the people,” Gofourth said.