The Lowdown Archive

Chief Deputy Jamison (Jamie) Sykes will retire at the beginning of May. His departure marks the beginning of an enormous transition; he has served in this role since my first day in office. I felt an emptiness in my stomach when he announced his intention to retire, but that sadness is balanced by the joy and excitement I feel for him. He will retire while he is still young, healthy, and able to enjoy the youth of his children. These are truly blessings, especially given that several studies show a reduced average lifespan for members of the law enforcement profession.

In briefest terms, a Chief Deputy is the highest ranking person member of the office serving under a sheriff. Therefore, Jamie is charged with general management of the sheriff’s office. He acts with me, and in support of me, and sometimes in place of me. The role requires friendship, trust, loyalty, judgment, and the absolute ability to know how I would think about an issue or challenge facing us. There is also a difficult to describe human element critical to the role that in many ways is more meaningful than the rank.

I had significant involvement in Jamie’s training when he was a young officer. Through the years, I served as his mentor and watched him succeed in nearly every division of this office. I observed his work ethic and witnessed countless examples of his integrity. I gave him advice on building both his house and his family, and I counted on him for the same.

In 2000, I was diagnosed with cancer. When subsequently drafting my will, my wife Lisa and I named Jamie as the guardian of our children. I can’t think of another person on this planet I would’ve trusted more at the time with my family. My kids are grown now, and one has children of her own, so his potential term as guardian has long since expired. Still, if something were to happen to us, I know without a doubt Jamie Sykes is the first person my kids would call.

Although Jamie will always be a part of my life, his retirement certainly represents a loss for our office, and we will face additional transitions over the next several years as other members of my staff retire. As we re-calibrate, I will announce many promotions, each of which will represent fresh energy, new ideas, and a different dynamic.

As I started to consider who would become the next Chief Deputy, I recalled Jamie’s early frustrations as he worked to balance the operational side of the agency against the administrative one. Then, as we grew and implemented new programs, the scope of what he managed and the sheer number of decisions he faced grew exponentially. Meanwhile, the law enforcement profession as a whole experienced an increased demand for service. Across the state, many agencies are dividing the responsibilities of a chief deputy into two positions, and it became clear to me that such an arrangement is the right structure for my office at this time.

As such, I am promoting Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Jones to serve as Chief Deputy for the operational side of the agency. His responsibilities will include the patrol, investigations, and civil divisions. Meanwhile, Major Tina Sykes will become the Chief Deputy responsible for the service side of our office, overseeing records, court security, detention, school resource officers, community outreach, and training and standards. Trust me, there is enough work to keep both of these individuals very busy!

Both Tina and Kevin are products of this agency. I’ve known them their entire careers, and I’ve seen them grow and evolve into professional law-enforcement leaders. I have full faith in their ability to fill these new roles in an effective and efficient manner. Moreover, I trust them both completely. I am excited to see them take on new responsibilities, and I look forward to watching them grow.

Luckily, Kevin and Tina will not start from scratch as Jamie did, meaning they can use his performance as a road map as they find their way. They can also lean on each other and collaborate as they navigate new challenges. We will miss Chief Deputy Sykes and his vast institutional knowledge, but we are well-positioned for continued success with these two leaders.

I encourage readers to congratulate Jamie on his well-deserved retirement. His email address is JSykes@orangecountync.gov. Please also join me in congratulating Chief Deputies Tina Sykes and Kevin Jones and wishing them success. Their respective emails are Trimmer@orangecountync.gov and kjones@orangecountync.gov.

Amber Keith-Drowns has been assisting people experiencing domestic violence or intimate-partner abuse for over 21 years; most practitioners in her field burn out within four years. Unfortunately, Amber’s tenacity has its genesis in family tragedy - her grandmother died as the result of interpersonal-family violence. I frequently say that most people in the law enforcement profession have their “WHY,” and Amber is no exception. She keeps her grandmother’s photo on her desk as a visible symbol of her motivation.

Every day, Amber reads deputy reports and follows up on domestic disturbances, sexual assaults, child abuse situations, and anything a patrol deputy indicates might benefit from her expertise. She then processes any paperwork related to domestic violence protective orders (DVPO), and she communicates with clerks, judges, and involved advocates. She also provides services to people who call or walk into the office requesting assistance, information, or advice related to domestic violence. 

Some people are surprised that domestic violence and intimate-partner abuse affect both men and women and occur across all demographic categories, professions, and socioeconomic levels. Violence, of course, includes physical assaults of some sort, whereas abuse involves intimidation or the manipulation of power and control through mental, emotional, financial, or other means. Many people know something is unhealthy about their relationship, but because they have not been physically assaulted, they aren’t sure how to characterize their situation. Such people have what Amber calls “lightbulb moments” in her office when they recognize an abusive relationship can exist even in the absence of bruising or broken bones. In other words, domestic violence is one form of an abusive relationship, but it is not the only one. 

A DVPO is also known as a 50B, a term which refers to the chapter in the North Carolina General Statutes governing civil actions related to domestic violence. Although it has limitations, a 50B is a powerful tool in the fight against domestic violence. These restraining orders can require an abuser to stay away and have no contact with the victim. The defendant might be ordered to leave the shared residence, and the victim may receive temporary custody of children, at least until a safety plan can be established. In 2022, our Crisis Unit filed 254 DVPOs, assisted with 110 filed by others, and provided consultation, enforcement, or ancillary service related to 108 DVPOs from other counties and states.

Of course, not everyone we help needs, wants, or qualifies for a 50B. Therefore, the Crisis Unit provided information and referral, advocacy, assistance with criminal warrants, emergency response, and other forms of supportive services to 1,272 additional people last year.

Two full-time law enforcement officers assist Amber. Deputy C. Faircloth has primary responsibility for serving and enforcing DVPOs and/or release conditions established by a judge in a criminal matter. Faircloth also monitors the communications of detention center residents who have been ordered not to contact their victims. Often, newly arrested people make a phone call to the victim in their case almost immediately upon entering the facility. Many continue to do so, despite judicial orders prohibiting such contact and multiple phone system warnings advising that all calls are monitored and recorded!

Deputy C. Miller provides supplementary services through the EASE program, an acronym for Empowerment, Advocacy, Safety, and Enforcement. A Governor’s Crime Commission grant supports this program. Who wrote the grant application? Why, Amber, of course! Functioning as a liaison with the District Attorney’s Office and the District Court Judges who hear these cases, Deputy Miller communicates with victims and collaborating agencies, addresses safety and lethality concerns, and facilitates supervised custody exchanges. 

The National Advocate Credentialing Program recently certified Amber as an Advanced Comprehensive Victim Intervention Specialist in domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking. Beth Posner, Clinical Associate Professor at the UNC School of Law, wrote a letter in support of Amber’s application for this credential. She said, “Amber creates the docket and sits next to the clerk and the judge, demonstrating the profound role advocacy can play in a courtroom when an advocate has earned the respect and admiration she has within our civil and criminal justice system.” Moreover, the Hillsborough Exchange Club, an organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse, paid the fee for Amber’s credentialing application and provides emergency supplies for victims. This robust community support speaks volumes.

In any emergency, call 911. If you are not in immediate danger, but experience violence or abuse within your relationship, contact our Crisis Unit at (919) 644-3050 or by clicking the Crisis Unit tab on our homepage (www.ocsonc.com) and selecting “Request Crisis Unit Contact.” Walk-in service is also available Monday through Friday. Amber and her team are ready to help.

As regular readers of this column know, I am passionate about my chosen profession. Although many people ask, “Why would anyone want to go into law enforcement?” I think the better question is, “Why would anyone want to do anything else?” I can’t think of another career with such a variety of meaningful ways to serve. I will share my Year in Review as a way to illustrate my belief.

In January, we hosted the inaugural Jail Administrators Institute of Leadership. This intensive program covers all aspects of Detention Center administration, one of a Sheriff’s most important and complex duties. Improving day-to-day operations of these facilities impacts the health, safety, and mental well-being of thousands of people across the state.

In February, cadets from our eighth Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) academy graduated and entered the profession. We also enjoyed working with Correction Enterprises as they delivered and installed new furniture, built by prison inmates, for our patrol room. This program benefits the state of North Carolina, offenders who learn valuable job skills, and customers (like us!) who receive quality products and professional design, build, and installation services.

My wife Lisa and I welcomed our second grandson Bryson in March. He and his brother Hunter are unending sources of pride and delight. Meanwhile, deputies partnered with SafeKids and collected more than 90 pounds of expired, unwanted, or unnecessary medications during National Poison Prevention Week. Because young children are often harmed when they consume medications the adults in their lives have forgotten, this partnership is very meaningful to me as we strive to keep kids safe from preventable injuries. 

In April, all three of our K9 partnerships successfully recertified through the International Police Working Dog Association, despite a significantly more difficult suspect apprehension evaluation. This accomplishment firmly establishes the credibility of these amazing dogs. Also in April, we booked the first inmate in to our new detention facility, replacing a 97-year-old building. We can now more efficiently serve the safety, security, and human service needs of those placed into our custody. Here’s a random but interesting fact – at lunch today, we prepared food for the 800th time in our new kitchen, and based on our 88-person average daily census, we have now served 70,800 meals!

On May 13, Deputy J. Duncan Nichols posthumously received long-overdue recognition for his 1904 line-of-duty death. Members of my staff accompanied two of Nichols’ great-grandsons to Washington, DC where they viewed the inscription honoring his sacrifice on the National monument to fallen law enforcement officers, and they listened to his name (and 618 others) read aloud at the annual candlelight vigil.

The South Orange Rescue Squad (SORS) celebrated half a century of service in June. I was honored to speak at the celebration; this event carried extra meaning for me. SORS provided emergency care to my now-deceased father on more than one occasion, and I remain grateful for their skill and compassion.

My staff joined scores of law enforcement officers from across the region to witness a Highway Patrol trooper, electrocuted while responding to a tornado call back in May, walk out of the hospital under his own power in July. The strength of the law enforcement bond is why I was so honored when my peers in the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association elected me president at our annual meeting at the end of that month. It is a pleasure to serve with and for them in this role. 

Various employees became certified Detention Officers and completed intensive Crisis Intervention Training in August, showcasing our commitment to continued improvement through training and education. We also hosted an appreciation breakfast for bus drivers as the new school year began. This tradition is one my mother started, and after her death earlier this year, it took on even greater significance to me. 

In September, we happily resumed our popular Citizens’ Academy after a two year COVID-induced hiatus. We also leaned on each other for support after one of our newly retired deputies, and a friend to us all, died by suicide. We are committed to checking in on each other more, and we encourage our community to do the same for their loved ones. 

We successfully resolved one of the most high-profile cases of my career in October when we presented to the court the juvenile accused of murdering two teens. I am so proud of our Criminal Investigations Division. They maintain a 100% solved rate on homicides occurring during my tenure.

Though unopposed, winning re-election in November felt great; I never take voter support for granted. Immediately following the elections, we hosted the Sheriff’s Leadership Institute (SLI), a training program for newly-elected Sheriffs in the state (33 of 35 attended). We also hosted the graduation for our ninth BLET class. Who knows? Maybe one day, one of our graduates will attend SLI!

December is always busy! We assist many groups with their toy and food distribution efforts, participate in multiple parades, and partner with the schools to fulfill holiday wishes for 25 children at our annual Shop with the Sheriff event, the brightest highlight of our year.

Meaningful work. Variety. Excitement. Camaraderie. Law enforcement is a great profession, and it has been an interesting, rewarding year. Best wishes to you and yours for 2023!

Earlier this month, voters elected me to serve a third term as Sheriff of Orange County. I appreciate their renewed support. Next week, my staff and I take our oath of office for the following four years. We will continue working toward a future where everyone is secure and able to move freely about as they live, work, raise their families, and age in place with dignity and support.

Looking back, I can see that our priorities at the beginning of the last term shaped our accomplishments. I can also see the impact of two events we did not anticipate: a global pandemic and the killing of George Floyd. COVID-19 impacted every aspect of life, and Floyd’s murder highlighted the pervasive nature of racism. Both altered our work. We created flexible and virtual ways to provide services, drastically reduced the population in our detention center, and examined our policies and practices in collaboration with the local NAACP chapters. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide responsive, accountable, and professional law enforcement in spite of difficult challenges.

One of our priorities four years ago was to develop leadership for the future. Toward this end, we flipped the organizational chart. It now reflects my belief that those with the most public contact (those serving in the detention center, courts, crisis unit, community outreach division, on patrol, in the schools, as investigators, and at the front desk) are the most important faces of this agency, and they belong at the top. Therefore, my command staff and I are at the bottom, reminding us we support their efforts. We also grouped personnel into four divisions headed by majors, providing new leadership opportunities.

Another goal was to implement a body-worn camera program. I am happy to report that despite concerns about cost, storage, battery life, and possible impact on morale, we established this program, and it vastly exceeded our expectations. The cameras preserve visual and audio details of interactions from the deputy’s point of view. There are many advantages. For example, investigators can see exactly what the responding deputy saw. The recordings help to assist supervisors when reviewing complaints, and our field trainers use them to gain insight into new employee performance. 

Four years ago, we promised to strengthen communications with the public, and we have made tremendous progress toward this goal. We hired a public information officer who writes press releases and serves as a liaison to members of the media. We also revamped our website; developed a phone app; started this monthly column; expanded our use of social media; produced multiple videos; created and organized an image library; and improved our crisis-communication efforts. 

One of my favorite initiatives has been the growth of our Citizens’ Academy and volunteer program. The Academy provides an in-depth look into our office, examining the roles, responsibilities, equipment, techniques, and facilities of each division. Through guest speakers, field trips, and experiential learning, we teach participants about the breadth of our services, and we explore the often complicated and nuanced ways our work intersects with other systems, agencies, and departments. Graduates qualify to become volunteers with our office, either in the Sheriff’s Office Community Organization or in the VISION (Volunteers in Service in Our Neighborhoods) program. 

With the help of the County Manager and the Board of Commissioners, we designed, built, and opened a modern detention facility to replace our 97-year-old jail. The 48,900-square-foot facility is less crowded and has improved safety and security systems. It also features a properly equipped kitchen, better medical facilities, nicer visitation areas, and a breakroom for employees. Two workrooms within the secure part of the facility allow those confined in the facility to receive education and specialized programming to help them eventually make a successful transition back into the community. 

I also want to highlight an innovative outreach tool we debuted mid-term. I commissioned a public opinion poll to solicit insight about the priorities and interests of a cross-sectional sampling of Orange County. This poll identified voters’ desires, helped me make decisions regarding service priorities, and provided data to support those choices. Nothing in the poll, however, affects how we respond to violent crime and carry out our constitutionally prescribed duties. This exercise was so valuable that we intend to repeat the poll during the upcoming term to ensure our delivery of discretionary services remains aligned with the interests of those we serve.

I am excited for my third term. Thank you again for your support!

When you see a law-enforcement vehicle race by with lights on and sirens blaring, do you wonder where it is going? Do you enjoy police shows on television and wonder if they are realistic? Are you intrigued by radios, body-worn cameras, and forensic science?

I am happy to report that after a COVID-19-induced hiatus of more than two years, we recently resumed hosting our Citizens’ Academy. Participants meet on Wednesday nights to learn about all aspects of their sheriff’s office in this eight-week program. I say “their sheriff’s office” deliberately. This is not MY office. It is the office of the people who elected me to represent them.

Born out of the idea that we want to tell our story to the public we serve, we started the academy in September 2017. People want to know where we go, why we go, and what we do when we get there. The Citizens’ Academy is designed to answer those questions and more. We offer an in-depth look into the many divisions at our office. Class members learn about the duties of a patrol deputy, the techniques of a criminal investigator, and the complexity of civil process. We introduce them to our courtroom responsibilities and take them on a tour of the county detention facility. They also take a field trip to the 911 communication center, hear about our Crisis Unit, and listen to a presentation by school resource officers. Without exception, each class reports they had no idea how much we do, and how complicated and nuanced it is to provide the comprehensive services a sheriff’s office offers.

The Academy is informational, and it is also experiential. On the first night, after introductions and an office overview, class members drive our golf cart through a cone course wearing special goggles that simulate the perception of a drunk driver. A few weeks later, investigators will teach about evidence collection and crime scene techniques, and challenge students to collect clues and develop suspects by processing a mock crime scene. On the night the students learn about criminal and constitutional law, they will have the opportunity to use the Shoot/Don’t Shoot training simulator. This technology presents users with realistic situations that require them to make complicated decisions under pressure. Do they shoot the suspect before he shoots them? Or wait – was the object in his hand actually a cell phone?

Short of actually working here, the Citizens’ Academy is the very best way for a person to develop a comprehensive understanding of what we do and how we function. Ten students are currently enrolled; our alumni include seventy-one others. We enjoy the opportunity to bridge the gap between our office and community members. We find people have preconceived and often inaccurate perceptions about the law-enforcement profession and the people who work within it.

Academy organizer, Lieutenant Daniel Roberson, reports the most rewarding part of the process for him is repeatedly hearing from participants that they are astounded when they learn how multi-faceted our work is and how many initiatives and partnerships we have geared toward improving the quality of life in Orange County. He looks forward to starting a youth academy for teens and young adults considering a career in law enforcement. We think they, too, will be surprised and excited to learn how many different specializations a person can develop within a law-enforcement career. For example, we have drone pilots, K9 handlers, a tactical unit, and traffic-enforcement specialists.

At the end of the class, participants are invited to continue their association with the office through our VISION (Volunteers in Service in Our Neighborhoods) program. This group works with us at community and ceremonial events, helps out in the office, and raises funds for special projects, such as the equipment we use for our Lifetrack program.

Our current class represents a broad range of life experience and professional accomplishments. One student is considering possible career paths after working as a registered nurse. Another is a former police officer and evidence technician who enrolled because he wanted to learn about recent changes and new approaches in the profession. A third person joined the class after moving to the area. He felt attending would be a good way to learn about the Hillsborough/Orange County community, and he wanted to understand more about the difference between a police department and a sheriff’s office.

If you would like to apply for an upcoming Citizens’ Academy, please email Lt. Roberson at troberson@orangecountync.gov.

My mother taught me that if I couldn’t say anything nice, I shouldn’t say anything at all. Bernard Meltzer, the former radio host of a long-running advice call-in show, went farther down this path when he said, “Before you speak, ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.”

Since the tragic murders of Devin Clark and Lyric Woods, I am not sure if there is any place these pieces of advice are more needed than on social media platforms. Many people posted comments that would fail Meltzer’s test.

The Sheriff’s Office has a social media presence for many reasons, chief among them to connect with our community. We post our press releases, provide traffic alerts, educate people about current scam activity, showcase the success of our deputies, detention officers, and staff, and let the community know when we are hurting. We find that efforts spent building this community pay dividends when we need to communicate about emergencies like dangerous weather events or road closures, and seeking assistance to identify a suspect or to help locate a missing person.

However, social media is a double-edged sword; nowhere has this been more evident than with the recent case involving the murders of Devin and Lyric. We saw many mistruths about the case posted, particularly on Facebook. Some were minor, such as the repeated fallacy that trail cameras recorded relevant footage of the crime. They did not. Others were quite harmful and damaging, full of false allegations that family members of one of the victims committed the crimes. This myth persisted even after investigators sought a juvenile petition against a 17-year-old-suspect.

Many comments were unkind. People called some commenters names or criticized the grammar of others. Many people wrote as if they had knowledge or inside information to add to the conversation, but they were incorrect about facts of the case, matters of juvenile law, the number of people involved, when an AMBER Alert can be issued, and who owned the land where the bodies were located. These assertions certainly were not necessary.

Social media has a very important place in our collective discourse, but everyone should remember these platforms are not news sites. Reporters from sanctioned news outlets generally follow journalistic standards, among which are that facts must be checked, sources must be verified, and opinions should be reasonably identifiable as such. In other words, journalists endeavor to be truthful, timely, and transparent with what they present to the public. A person commenting on social media has no such obligations and sometimes no such intent.

In my opinion, social media comments overall likely have intensified the grief of those who knew and loved Devin and Lyric. Here at my office, plowing through comments to search for relevant information or leads has been a time-consuming drain on resources. Although we are tough and can take it, reading unkind posts about our competence, motives, and ethics as we mine the comments for useful information is not a neutral endeavor. I, for one, have never found the old adage about sticks and stones to contain much wisdom. Words do have power, and they can hurt. That said, we are thankful for those who express faith in our abilities, gratitude for our efforts, and empathy for the unspeakable difficulty of the work we do, especially when investigating a case as tragic as this one.

As is well known, we are seeking to apprehend a 17-year-old suspect. Juvenile law prohibits us from saying more. This prohibition is not a recommendation or a suggestion. It is ironclad. We know people are confused, scared, angry, and hungry for information. Even so, we are unable to share additional information with the families of the victims, we cannot talk to mainstream media outlets about details, and we will not post specifics on social media platforms. Once apprehended, the suspect will maintain an absolute right to complete confidentiality while the case remains under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. This protection will be hard for people to accept.

 Although the public is anxious to learn more details, pressure from social media does not alter the law we are sworn to uphold. When we communicate with those we serve, we do our best to be professional and kind, working always to build trust. We will continue to do so.

Orange County students recently started a new school year, always an exciting time for parents, teachers, and staff. Most are full of hope and eager to improve on the successes of last year. But in every parent’s heart, the excitement is likely tinged with worry. Will my children adapt to new teachers and increased academic rigor? Will they avoid harassment from the lunchroom bully? Is their bus driver experienced? And the most important question – are our schools safe?

Your Sheriff’s Office has a robust school resource officer (SRO) program to answer this last question. Operating under a Memorandum of Understanding with Orange County Schools, and a separate contract with Eno River Academy, we have an SRO in 14 schools, and two deputies each at Orange and Cedar Ridge high schools. We’ve grown significantly since the program began in 1994 with only two SROs, one each at Orange High School and C.W. Stanford Middle School!

Some people question why law enforcement officers are in schools. In response, I ask them to think of other large gatherings, such as sporting events, festivals, parades, road races, and concerts. Law enforcement officers are present at these as a matter of routine. These events have three commonalities - crowds, people with differing levels of emotional regulation, and the possibility of chaos or mass casualties if something goes wrong or someone tries to cause harm. An educational setting is likewise possessed of these same factors. In the worst case scenario of a mass shooting, response time is critical. As Tina Sykes, the Major responsible for the SRO program, likes to say, “When it comes to the safety of our students, I’d rather it take 15 seconds for a deputy to respond from somewhere else in the building than to wait seven or more minutes for one to arrive from somewhere else in the county.”

The North Carolina General Statutes define a school resource officer as a law enforcement officer assigned to one or more public schools, at least 20 hours per week, to assist with school security, emergency preparedness, emergency response, and any other responsibility assigned by the employing unit. In addition to the mandatory annual in-service requirements for all deputies, an SRO must successfully complete a forty-hour certification course that will, at minimum, contain diversity and equity, tactical, and mental health training.

SROs are not disciplinarians, truant officers, school administrators, or attorneys. They are dedicated to fostering a safe and secure environment, serving as mentors, and assisting with education on law-related topics like forensics or civics. In the course of their duties, they form relationships with students and their families, relationships that would not exist if deputies served the school only when dispatched in response to 911 calls.

Students frequently confide in an SRO about problems they experience, or share concerns about others, such as suicidal ideation or self-injurious behaviors. With this information, SROs can provide extra support, investigate the situation, and respond in a coordinated manner with school officials. In other words, SROs exist to address problems, not arrest problems. They understand the difference between misbehavior and true criminal conduct.

In cases where a student commits an actual criminal offense at school, SROs take a measured approach. If the infraction is minor and represents the first time the student has offended, SROs issue a warning to the student and notify the parent. If the student commits a subsequent criminal violation, the SRO might refer the matter to the Youth Deflection Program, the Dispute Settlement Center, or the Volunteers for Youth Teen Court Program. Unless the matter is very serious, or if the student demonstrates escalating criminal behavior despite attempts to employ these alternative resources, SROs make significant efforts to divert the case from the criminal justice system. In the 2018-19 and the 2019-20 school years, SROs diverted 90 and 91 percent of criminal matters, respectively.

SROs perform many other functions. They prevent or intervene in situations of dating violence, assist with disruptions involving intoxicated or impaired parents, navigate custody issues, answer questions about domestic violence protective orders, and facilitate creating safe ways for parents to be involved in their student’s education if they are on the sex offender registry. They manage to provide all these benefits while serving their primary purpose to reduce critical response time from minutes to seconds and prevent violence and mass casualties.

I am proud of the positive and long-lasting impact our SROs make every day. Moreover, I am grateful they share my commitment to ensuring our schools are as safe as possible.

Earlier this week, the 100 sheriffs of our state elected and installed me as the president of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA). Serving as the president of this group is a high honor and a tremendous responsibility, which I am only able to accept with the support of my family and my team here at the office.

The Association’s mission is to protect, promote, preserve, and enhance the Office of Sheriff in North Carolina through education, training, and legislative initiatives that increase public safety and protect the rights of the residents of North Carolina.

The office of sheriff has a history over 1200 years old, dating back to the Middle Ages. The role grew and changed over the centuries, and English settlers “imported” a version of the position to the New World as they sought personal freedom alongside the rule of law. The first American counties were established in Virginia; one of these counties elected a sheriff in 1651, before the United States was even an independent nation. Today, with few exceptions, a sheriff is an elected official serving as the chief law-enforcement officer for his or her county. Although a police chief has similar duties within a municipality, a sheriff typically has additional responsibilities such as providing for the security of the courthouses, processing civil paperwork, assisting people with pistol purchase and concealed weapon permits, and maintaining a detention facility and providing for the needs of those confined therein.

This is the NCSA’s 100th anniversary, and we have accomplished a great deal. I am proud to lead us into a second century of service. As society continues to change, we must constantly adapt to the needs of our communities. Our organization works closely with the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriffs’ Association to explore best practices and solutions for the problems and opportunities of modern life.

As president, I will serve as the face of the NCSA. Through it, I will speak to state and national media outlets about the Association’s position on topics of interest, and I will represent our group during times of loss. I also represent the NCSA at the meetings of many groups, such as the National Sheriffs’ Association, the State Bureau of Investigation, the NC General Assembly, and the North Carolina Victims’ Assistance Network. I make appointments within the Association, including to the Auditing, Training, and Legislative committees, and to external groups such as the Domestic Preparedness and Readiness Committee, the NC Fully Autonomous Vehicle Committee, and the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.

It’s extremely important that I get this presidency right. For the next year, not only will I be making decisions based on the goals and values of Orange County voters, I will also be discussing statewide issues such as mental health, immigration, gun violence, and the legalization of marijuana with 99 other sheriffs. Other sheriffs serve communities with different priorities and viewpoints regarding these critically important and incredibly complex topics. We will wrestle with our differences and arrive at a policy position that we feel is the best path forward for the entire state. We will then discuss the Association’s recommendation with our legislative delegations, letting them know if the NCSA opposes, supports, or takes no position on the issue at hand.

Let me give you an example. As a group, Orange County voters favor the legalization of marijuana more than voters in conservative counties do. As an association, the NCSA recently supported legislation regarding legalizing medical marijuana for use at home. Voters in some counties might be disappointed by this; voters in other counties might feel we did not go far enough. The reality is many hands touch a bill as it moves along the path to becoming a state law. As a body of law-enforcement leaders, we must advocate for what is in the overall best interests of the state, and we are more influential when we speak with one voice. Our opinions and perspectives as law-enforcement leaders are vital to helping ensure that any laws passed in the State Legislature are manageable, fair, and do not create problems that will be detrimental to our communities.

 

It is a considerable honor to be elected as the Sheriff of a county, and I am so pleased my fellow sheriffs trust me to lead our Association. I promise to do my best with these dual responsibilities. I remain grateful to the voters for their confidence in me, and to my team for joining me in service to this community.

Physical trauma is the leading cause of death for people aged one through 46, and it accounts for 30% of all deaths. Many traumatic injuries can cause death within three to six minutes. However, on average, emergency medical service providers arrive on scene between seven and 14 minutes after the trauma occurs. When seconds matter, this delay represents a dangerous gap.

Deputies usually arrive to a scene first, but even when the ambulance reaches the scene before deputies, medical providers cannot begin to render aid until law enforcement officers mitigate the danger, control traffic hazards, or conduct a security sweep of the premises.

Deputies receive CPR and first aid training during a week-long block of instruction during Basic Law Enforcement Training. Although reasonably comprehensive, this education does not begin to compare to the training, experience, and equipment paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMT) bring to a scene. Until last month, deputies arrived at a scene with a rapid response first aid kit. This compact, lightweight kit is likely better than the first aid supplies most community members have in their residences or vehicles, but at a cost of less than $65.00, it pales in comparison to the skills of a paramedic or EMT and the supplies onboard an ambulance!

I wanted to increase the quality of medical care deputies could provide to victims while they waited for more comprehensively trained people with better equipment to arrive on scene. Therefore, I recently purchased 31 portable trauma and emergency medical response kits from Zoll Medical. Called Mobilize kits, these have an Android tablet built-in to the lid of the carrying case. The tablet is preloaded with an instructional rescue app that launches when someone lifts the lid. The kits also have medical supplies clearly labeled, logically organized, and color-coded to match the instructions in the rescue app. In other words, the Mobilize kits are designed to fill the gap between the occurrence of the trauma and the arrival of advanced emergency medical personnel. The kit and the onboard app help deputies and even bystanders with no training at all assess, manage, and monitor medical emergencies, potentially providing lifesaving care. The faster care can be provided, the better the chance of a successful outcome.

I am pleased to report that Corporal Doug Moats successfully saved a life during the week he first took possession of a Mobilize kit. He responded to a shots fired call and found a victim with multiple gunshot wounds, including two sucking chest wounds (one with an exit wound) and severe facial trauma. Moats placed three chest seals on the victim, and properly managed the facial injuries until emergency medical providers arrived several minutes later.

While treating the victim, Moats realized another benefit of the kit. With his level of prior training (which is greater than most of my deputies have), he was able to use the kit as a well-stocked supply cabinet; he did not need to follow the instructions from the app. Had there been an additional victim, an untrained family member or bystander could have simultaneously rendered care to that person by following the step-by-step assessment questions and treatment instructions embedded in the app; these use protocols and best practices as set by the American Heart Association, Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, and the American College of Surgeons. In other words, the kit is useful to people almost without regard to the level of knowledge they bring to the emergency.

Reflecting on the experience, Deputy Moats related that people keep telling him he saved a life, but he does not feel his efforts were anything extraordinary. Although the hospital trauma doctor told the paramedic supervisor the chest seals Moats placed saved the victim’s life, Moats explained that having those seals quite literally at his fingertips is what made the save possible.

Every deputy on patrol will eventually have the Mobilize system in his or her vehicle and we are purchasing 14 more kits to put in other strategic areas throughout the county. We will familiarize other first responders and the leaders of area businesses and non-profits with information about the kits and their locations. The kits are so intuitive, an 8th grader can use them, rendering care and providing a trauma victim with the precious time he or she needs need to survive until emergency medical service providers arrive.

I am confident these kits will continue to save lives. Please come by the office if you would like to familiarize yourself with a Mobilize trauma kit.

The United States recognizes National Police Week annually; on May 13 the names of officers, deputies, and other law enforcement agents who died in the line of duty during the previous year are read aloud at a candlelight vigil on the National Mall in Washington, DC. At the vigil, organizers also honor historical line-of-duty deaths. This year, we commemorated the service of Deputy Duncan Joseph Nichols, whose sacrifice had not previously been recognized on the national level. Nichols died in 1904, 58 years before President John F. Kennedy signed the yearly observance of Peace Officer’s Memorial Day into law.

Nichols’ death also came 80 years prior to the founding of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) in 1984. This nonprofit organization built and maintains the national memorial to fallen officers. I shared the facts and circumstances of Deputy Nichol’s death with the Fund in July 2021, and it notified us of his acceptance last August. The National Memorial bears the names of 23,229 officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The total includes 619 new names; the 472 officers killed in the line of duty in 2021 and 147 people, like Deputy Nichols, whose death has only recently been verified and recognized.

In brief, James Knapp Horner, 58, shot Deputy Nichols in the arm on September 9, 1904 as Nichols attempted to serve a warrant on Knapp for allegedly whipping his daughter-in-law. Nichols bled to death from a severed artery before he could make it home to his family. A posse captured Horner three days later, shooting him in the side during his arrest. Horner’s wounds were not fatal and did not require hospitalization. Convicted of second degree murder in 1905, a court sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

Deputy Nichols had a wife and four daughters. The youngest was just a few weeks past her third birthday at the time of her father’s death. His wife of almost 20 years, Pattie, never remarried. She died in 1942, living almost 38 years as a widow. Nichols’ parents and nine siblings also survived him. As I sit here, more than a century later, I find the gravity of his loss difficult to comprehend. As Sheriff, I fear little as much as the line-of-duty death of one of my employees. I hope they understand that ensuring Nichols received this long-overdue acknowledgement is one small way I signal that I fully recognize the magnitude of their willingness to serve and sacrifice for this community every day.

Representatives of my office traveled to Washington, DC this month to attend the vigil and view the addition of Nichols’ name to the monument. They attended with William “Bryan” Sykes, his wife Kandi, Wiley Arnold Sykes, and his wife Jean. The Sykes brothers are two of Nichols’ great grandsons; they are the grandsons of his daughter Lida May, who was five when her father died.

Although no one alive ever met Deputy Nichols, the events of the weekend were nonetheless emotional. At the law enforcement museum, the group viewed a wall on which photos of the newly recognized officers were displayed. Something about seeing Nichols’ face in such a formal display brought the loss of him into the room. Most survivors were there to grieve a much more recent death, including a boy of about 10, dressed in a perfectly tailored Sullivan County, TN sheriff’s deputy uniform, paying tribute to his father. The freshness of his grief merged with our knowledge of the pain long-dead residents of Orange County once endured. Someday, over a century in the future, the 10-year old’s grandchildren might be in Washington, DC honoring a man they never met.

The memorial wall sits across the street from the museum. Row after row of names carved into limestone create a permanent record of service and sacrifice. You have to see it to understand the beauty and the solemnity; I hope you find the opportunity to do so someday.

Every year at the candlelight vigil honoring the line-of-duty deaths from the prior year and historical deaths such as Deputy Nichols, thousands of people listen to the names read into the night. A bell tolls after each state’s list of names concludes. Speeches and musical tributes add dimension to the ceremony which culminates with thousands of candles piercing the darkness – the light a symbol of the personal love of immediate survivors and the enduring gratitude of the rest of us, who live protected by the thin blue line.

If you are interested in learning more or donating to the NLEOMF, please go to https://nleomf.org/. Thank you.

Last month, we moved all detention operations into our new facility on Highway 70 West. Our old site opened in 1925 with capacity for 34 people. Despite adding an annex in 1994 and renovating the kitchen in 2012, the 97-year-old facility was decades behind modern standards. 

Detention Officer Lisa Thompson characterized the move as the beginning of a new era. She said, “I’ve worked here for 20 years. When I was hired, they were talking about a new jail. It is so nice to finally have one.” 

For years, state inspectors with the NC Department of Health and Human Services cited us for multiple inadequacies. We weren’t passing inspections – in our obsolete facility, we couldn’t. Our kitchen, medical, and laundry facilities were insufficient, and in many cases either impossible or inordinately expensive to repair. Here’s just one example: a shower drain stopped working two or three years ago – a simple clog. After digging up the floor, we learned the cast iron pipe around the drain pipe had disintegrated. For a time, water was still able to pass through the concrete channel around the pipe, but eventually that failed as well. That “simple” drain problem cost $25,000 to fix. 

We also had numerous safety concerns, such as an inadequate suicide prevention cell and no sprinkler system. The cost to retrofit the jail with sprinklers? Almost two million dollars! 

Recognizing the momentous – and rare – nature of the occasion, we called the operational plan governing community safety during the move “Blue Moon.” With help from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and a State Bureau of Investigation task force, we moved 70 inmates from the old facility to the new one in a process that took over five hours and involved more than 80 people. We searched each person as they exited the old jail and again as they entered the new one. We also checked each person’s belongings for contraband before separately shuttling property to the new facility. 

Captain Katie Spear said we didn’t just move; we walked out of one dimension and into another. She is correct. The company that made the gates, keys, and locking mechanisms for the old facility has been out of business for years. We had difficulty finding anyone capable of making repairs. The new building has a state-of-the art electronic system. No one needs to walk around with rings of old style keys, fumbling to find the right one.

Major Tim Jones is our Jail Administrator. He has noticed a drastically improved work flow in the new space. Detention officers seated at a centralized control tower open and shut electronic doors from a video console as other officers accompany residents to different parts of the building, such as to the medical area or to the attorney visitation booths. 

The new 48,900-square-foot facility has space for 144 inmates. We can now better serve their safety, security, and human service needs. We have a properly equipped kitchen, a larger laundry room, a better medical facility, a break room for employees, and adequate storage. Major Jones will have a supervisors meeting after all four squads rotate through day and night shift duty. At the meeting, he will collect observations and create a work flow punch list to improve our ability to maximize the modern capabilities of the facility. 

There are two workrooms within the secure part of the building. Community professionals and staff members from the Criminal Justice Resource Department will use these rooms to provide education and specialized programming designed to help residents of the facility make a successful transition back to the community. We are also pleased to have tablets available for inmate use. These devices allow video visits and text exchanges with loved ones; all such visits and communications are monitored. Although residents do not have access to the internet other than through the Paytel service, if a person takes an online anger management or drug education class, he or she can earn points toward watching a movie or playing an approved video game. 

There’s no way to sugarcoat it; the old facility was rough. Everyone associated with the new facility benefits from the improved air quality and the brighter, less cramped space. People confined there now live in a cleaner, more modern facility better suited to their often complicated needs; and the safer, brighter facility certainly boosts employee morale. We dreamed about this new detention center for two decades. Captain Spear said it best: “It feels like we went from a T-Rex to a Tesla.”

Earlier this month, a child ran away from school. A teacher followed the child who was running through a wooded area in the direction of a heavily-trafficked road. For the privacy of the child, I will not mention the name of the school or provide details about the student; those facts do not matter. What matters is a student was upset, fleeing on foot, and headed toward a busy highway.

In response to a 911 call, several deputies flooded the area. One of them caught the child, mere feet from the shoulder of the road. He wrapped his arms around the student from the back in a cradling bear hug and sat down, functioning almost as a human car seat. Once seated, however, he could not get back up. The ground was muddy and the child was fighting, struggling, and screaming “Let me go!” Trying to stand from a seated position, without the use of one’s arms, is surprisingly difficult to do.

Two deputies positioned their cruisers between the pair and the passing traffic. The space was so narrow, their vehicles were partially in the travel lane. Traffic had to move into a center turning lane to pass them.

Before the situation resolved, community members began calling our front desk. Some people inquired about the heavy police presence in the area. When told we were helping with a child who ran away from school, a few callers asked whether that was a law- enforcement matter. Others wanted to know how many adults it takes to “wrangle” a child, and we later started seeing posts on Facebook about deputies giving a child CPR.

Although I suppose we could get defensive about such calls, we recognize these inquiries for the opportunities they present. The general public does not know what our jobs are like on a day-to-day basis, and it is easy to make incorrect assumptions about unfamiliar things. No doubt motorists were troubled by what they saw, and the Facebook posts reflect their efforts to make sense of the scene. We routinely face multi-dimensional problems and rapidly evolving situations. We must creatively problem solve within the framework of the law and our training.

Every deputy who responded to this call played a pivotal role, and is therefore part of the reason for the heavy police presence. As I’ve said before, “law enforcement” is too narrow of a term to describe our work. We offer community support, and our deputies are safety professionals. I can’t think of another agency with the skills, training, equipment, mobility, and response time to handle the situation I describe above.

The child in question verbalized an adamant refusal to calm down, and continued to struggle and yell, “Let me go.” Although the deputy kept the child’s arms pressed against his abdomen, he still managed to grab a shoe and throw it striking an approaching deputy in the head. Then, as two deputies tried to help the sitting deputy stand, the child freed one of his arms momentarily. He picked up a stick and rapidly thrust it overhead, trying to strike the face of the confining deputy. One of the assisting deputies partially blocked the thrust; the stick lightly scratched the holding deputy’s face, narrowly missing his eye.

In all, it took five adults to resolve this situation – six counting the teacher. Luckily, the deputy who held the student has specialized, advanced training in Gracie Survival Tactics (GST), or it might have necessitated more. GST is a martial art, modified for use by law enforcement, military, and first responders. Practitioners use principles such as leverage and distance management when grappling with an opponent, regardless of the other person’s size. The deputy in this situation knew how to keep the child safely contained until he ran out of gas.

The child eventually calmed down. Obviously, confidentiality requirements prevent us from saying more about the situation, but I want to assure the public that the child was not harmed. Professionals with the school and the child’s parents are working to meet his needs.

I am grateful to the News of Orange for providing me this forum to educate the community about our services, and I am glad people care enough to call my office when they see something that concerns them. If you’d like to learn more about our work, please contact Lieutenant Roberson at our office to talk about joining an upcoming Citizens’ Academy. His number is (919) 245-2921.