▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁St ith ▁attacked ▁Bell ▁over ▁several ▁city ▁issues ▁including ▁violence . ▁During ▁the ▁week end ▁of ▁October ▁ 1 3 ▁and ▁October ▁ 1 4 , ▁two ▁people ▁were ▁murder ed ▁in ▁Dur ham . ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 5 , ▁Bill ▁Bell ▁tried ▁to ▁calm ▁the ▁public ▁about ▁the ▁mur ders , ▁claim ing ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁safe ▁and ▁the ▁week end ▁mur ders ▁were ▁not ▁random . ▁The ▁next ▁day , ▁St ith ▁went ▁after ▁Bell , ▁pointing ▁out ▁that ▁Dur ham ' s ▁murder ▁rate ▁was ▁up ▁nearly ▁ 5 0 ▁percent ▁over ▁the ▁previous ▁year . ▁St ith ▁and ▁Bell ▁continued ▁to ▁argue ▁over ▁how ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁Dur ham ▁crime . ▁St ith ▁consist ently ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁fight ▁crime ▁more ▁consist ently ▁than ▁Bell ▁had , ▁while ▁Bell ▁said ▁that ▁St ith ▁had ▁six ▁years ▁on ▁the ▁town ▁council ▁to ▁do ▁that . ▁St ith ▁said ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁see ▁more ▁police ▁officers ▁on ▁the ▁streets , ▁while ▁Bell ▁said ▁the ▁current ▁police ▁officers ▁are ▁well ▁equ ipped . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁after ▁lead ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁Dur ham ▁drink ing ▁water , ▁St ith ▁sent ▁out ▁a ▁campaign ▁ma iler ▁that ▁said ▁in ▁bold ▁letters : ▁" B ill ▁Bell ▁knew ▁and ▁didn ' t ▁tell ▁us ▁our ▁water ▁was ▁dangerous ▁to ▁drink ." ▁Mayor ▁Bell ▁respond ed ▁to ▁this ▁by ▁saying ▁" That ▁ma iler ▁sent ▁out ▁by ▁Thomas ▁St ith