The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county and is elected in partisan elections for a 4-year term. No person is eligible to serve as sheriff if that person has been convicted of a felony, whether or not their rights of citizenship have been restored. Duties of the Sheriff’s office include the operation of the jail, law enforcement, providing security for courts, serving criminal warrants and other writs and summonses, and transporting prisoners.
Position/philosophy statement
I believe in an assertive and proactive approach to law enforcement that centers on public safety and community engagement. I am proud to continue serving as your Sheriff. Please visit my web site for additional information.
Current Occupation
Sheriff of Catawba County
Age (optional)
59
I am an experienced leader with 37 years of experience in law enforcement. I started as a patrolman with Newton Police Department in 1988 and served there for 30 years. I was appointed Chief of Newton Police Department in February 2008 and served in that role until taking office as Sheriff in December in 2018. I have served two terms as your Sheriff and am seeking a third so that I can continue to utilize my experience and skills to ensure that our Sheriff's Office is the best in the state. Please see a listing of my experience below in additional comments section.
One of the most challenging issues law enforcement officers face is maintaining public trust. We are thankful here in Catawba County to serve communities that support our officers and deputies. As Sheriff, I have worked hard to foster and maintain that trust. My office will continue to lead in this mission as we work collaboratively with our partner agencies to keep our citizens safe. Another issue that has been a challenge in law enforcement for decades is the influx of narcotics into our country and into our communities. My office has worked tirelessly to combat this ever evolving issue. We partner with local, state and federal law enforcement officers to combat this scourge and bring these criminals to justice.
Since first elected in 2018, I have worked with our County Commissioners to implement programs that have greatly increased the safety of our citizens. Prior to my taking office only some of our schools had SRO's We now have a School Resource Officer in every county school. I created our Special Enforcement Group (SEG) to better focus on suspected criminals operating in our county. I have added investigators to our Narcotics Division and created a forensics lab to better collect and utilize digital evidence that is a part of every criminal case these days.
In my next term as your Sheriff we will work to expand our Patrol Division with additional deputies and increase services office wide to keep up with growth our county is experiencing.
A priority in my next term will be the creation of a "Real Time Crime Center" here in Catawba County. Many law enforcement jurisdictions across the country have benefitted from this crime fighting tool. Some of these benefits include, faster response times in assessing incidents, better information for deputies in the field in the field and stronger investigations, with analysts quickly connecting information using video, data, and crime patterns. This helps identify suspects faster, strengthen cases, and reduce the time it takes to solve crimes. Crime prevention another aspect with this technology spotting trends and patterns that would help deploy resources proactively—deterring crime before it happens instead of reacting after the fact.
Currently, my office offers four community-based organizations contracted to work inside the facility, all focused on rehabilitation and reentry planning for inmates in Catawba County. Catawba Valley Behavioral Health, in collaboration with Cognitive Connections, Reach and Partners, operates a reentry program that works with inmates weekly to help establish structure, connect them with support systems, and identify housing options and resources for when they are released back into the community. In addition, we address substance abuse and mental health needs as early as possible. Every inmate is screened upon entry into the facility, and those who qualify may be placed into our Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program.
Associates Degree in Criminal Justice - CVCC
Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice - Gardner Webb
230th Session - FBI National Academy
Charter Member - Catawba County Special Tactics and Response Team (1997-2005)
North Carolina Certified Instructor - NC Justice Academy (Specialized in Firearms and Defensive Driving)
County & Municipal Administration - UNC Chapel Hill
Advanced Certificate - North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission
Advanced Certificate - North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission
Advanced Service Certificate - North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission
Sheriffs' Leadership Institute
Recipient of the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine
Distinguished Alumni Award - CVCC
Legislative Committee - North Carolina Sheriffs' Association
Training Committee - North Carolina Sheriffs' Association
Sheriff's Leadership Institute Advisory Committee North Carolina Sheriffs' Assoc.
