By 10 a.m. Tuesday speculation was rampant at the polls, at the water coolers, on the streets and even, well, on the playgrounds.

“It’s going to be a tie against Ray Brown, Randy Freeman and Chuck Mayfield,” 8-year-old Amanda said from the wooden stoop that leads to the yellow slide on the playground at Frazier Primary School.

“My family is all voting for Randy Freeman, except my granddad, who is voting for Mayfield,” the second-grader said.

“I like Randy Freeman too. 95 Country is voting for Freeman.”

“Cliff Cox, Randy Freeman, Chuck Mayfield, Ray Brown are running,” the young political analyst said. “And Craig Godbold thinks he’s running.”

Oh, from the mouths of babes.

Frazier Primary School is a polling place in county elections, and while campaigning supporters waved signs from across the street and voters filed into the cafeteria, the real politics might just have been on the playground.

First, the second-graders laid out a few ground rules for what makes a good sheriff.

“Niceness.” “He needs to have a car.” “Friendly, but mean if you do bad things.”

“Good with kids and nice to them.” “Tall.”

“He should carry a gun in his pocket for the people that are bad and those sticks in his pockets.”

“Honest. They need to be true and real. The only thing they need to do is tell the truth.”

And if a man — or woman, the children made a point to say a woman can be sheriff too — possesses the needed characteristics and personality traits, he simply has to follow a few more steps before being elected sheriff.

“You’ve got to grow up, get a job, go to Alcorn and then the police tell you what to do.”

Then, the children gave a proper job description for the new sheriff.

“He’ll do police work and take people to jail if they do bad things.”

“He’ll save people when it is dangerous.”

“If it’s a murder scene or your house burns down, the police should come.”

“Keep the community safe.”

“Don’t let any robbers get out of jail.”

“He needs to wear a uniform because people might need him.”

All simple enough, right?

Once the new sheriff gets all that down, he might want to add a few more informal job duties to his title, like hitting the swing set at Frazier.

Not only is it fun, relaxing and beneficial to the children, but the new sheriff could dispel a few rumors that were floating around the playground Tuesday.

For instance, “The sheriff shoots people.” “He pushes people.” And, “If you see (police or sheriff’s deputies), run.”

Gone are the days that the local law enforcement officers are seen as heroes in the eyes of every young boy and girl.

All too real are the images children have of officers chasing family members, gunshots ringing out and angry deputies yelling, be it from TV, video games or even real life.

It’s sad, but becomes vividly apparent after just five minutes on the playground.

Fixing crime in our community may very well start on those playgrounds. And it better start now.

Julie Cooper is the managing editor of The Natchez Democrat. She can be reached at 601-445-3551 or julie.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.