VIERA -- Brevard County sheriff candidate Gary Young said crime is the No. 1 issue in the county this election.
Young, a Democrat, said Brevard County crime has gone up since incumbent Sheriff Jack Parker took office.
Parker, however, said it has actually gone down so far in 2007.
Both candidates have said the statistics back up their claims.
"Of the 17 counties in Florida that have over 200,000 people in unincorporated areas, the area that the sheriff is solely responsible for patrolling, our crime rate is the fastest growing in the state," Young said.
"The crime rate in the state of Florida -- the average -- is, on the whole, about 51 percent higher than it is right here in Brevard County, the area served by the sheriff," Parker countered. "There's a lot of statistics being thrown around. Most of them are really kind of untrue."
Other issues at stake include budgeting for the Sheriff's Office. Young said it needs to be cut, while Parker said that could be dangerous.
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