law enforcement today has changed! My wife, Sarah, a Macon County School Assistant Principal, and I invite you to learn more about our family and community perspectives by openly encouraging a dialogue between us. I will not edit, change, or omit anything. The transition period will be so important, he said. I always stand firm that I am not a politician, but I am a family man that loves God, my family, and our country., Your email address will not be published. The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. The Macon County Arrest Records Search (North Carolina) links below open in a new window and take you to third party websites that provide access to Macon County public records. I want to work with other agencies around the area (city and county), state, and federal agencies and pool our resources to combat the ever growing drug problem. To win, a candidate must get at least 30 percent of the vote plus one. I am a dedicated and passionate law enforcement professional with the education, training, and experience to lead the Macon County Sheriffs Office into the future. Candidates were asked to provide a short bio and were asked the same questions. Welcome to the Macon County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, serving Franklin, Highlands and Nantahala Macon County, NC Sheriff's Office | Franklin NC Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. His education program would include more trained School Resource Officers, including a roving K9 unit and K9 demonstrations in the schools. When it comes to recruiting new officers, he plans to reach out to community colleges and universities and suggests offering incentive pay for officers with prior law enforcement experience, training and certifications. Like Jones, Holbrooks said getting courthouse security up to speed would be one of his early priorities. I am a passionate, dedicated law enforcement officer who puts God first, family second and career third. Bryson said more must be done on the enforcement end as well and wants to have a task force including the Sheriffs Office and the Franklin and Highlands police departments. No Democrats were on the ballot so this primary decides who will be the next Sheriff in the County. Discuss North Carolina politics. Cody Moore has officially announced his candidacy for the 2022 election . He says transparency is a pretty easy problem to fix. But with the amount of drugs in this town, we should be seeing busts every week. Waynesville is Haywood Countys only municipal government that elects all of its members, A group of Macon County residents and library patrons attended a Feb. 7 library board, Theres some truth to the old clich that one readily recognizable sound is the ultimate, As Macon County looks ahead to fiscal year 2023-24, the county has big decisions to make. Bryson: I believe one significant area of improvement within the Sheriffs Office comes with building community relations. I was promoted to Sergeant in 2016, and just recently promoted to Lieutenant over Civil process and Courthouse Security. We dont plan to change that model. Venus and Jupiter are going in for a nighttime kiss, Santorum joins North Carolina House GOP to push convention, UNCG School of Nursing plans to move its Ph.D. program entirely online, Author Kate Zernike dissects the years-long fight for gender equality at MIT, Graham and Jackson Counties vote in runoff elections, Judge releases dashcam video of Cawthorn driving while his license was revoked, The Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan received about 800 eligible objections, heres what happens now, Reaction to Cawthorn's move varies across WNC, Lost or forgotten no more: Incarcerated Black laborers that built WNC railroad memorialized. I worked for the of Franklin While I eagerly awaited my 21 birthday, when I could begin the BLET program. The evidence is there., As part of fighting the drug problem, Browning wants to add more resources to the narcotics division. I cant be successful as Sheriff without you, which is why I promise to work alongside you to continue to improve the quality of life here in Macon County, together. Candidates Jones, Holbrooks and Clay Bryson are all currently part of the Macon County Sheriffs Office. Jones said he is a people person and wants people to know they can talk to him. He also said a larger facility built to code would give the county the opportunity to make money housing federal inmates. 0. Many were close races. We need to be hard on the dealers and traffickers, he said. The people in Nantahala want to know someone is close by so they dont have to wait an hour.. My pride is my family as I am a dedicated father of three young children that attend the Highlands School where my wife, Sarah, serves as the Vice Principal and is finishing her 12th year in the MCS system. Answer from candidate 3 He also wants to provide officers more training on highway interdiction and assign deputies with canine support to work Highway 441. The K-9 Officers would be stationed in a zone that would enable them to be mobile in the event of a requirement for their services. Your email address will not be published. The drug problem in Macon County and surrounding areas is epidemic. In Macon County Republican primary, Brent Holbrooks defeated Dereck Jones by just 54 votes, or .74% (32.31% to 31.57%). I went around with a captain when we were looking at securing the courthouse with metal detectors and a lot of research went into what we needed and how we could organize and implement the program, he said. Search by document type. The men and women who make up the agency from administrative units, to courthouse security or from patrol to investigations are dedicated to making Macon County better not only for their families, but for yours and for mine. He also spent approximately 14 years working in Narcotics where I was also on the Violent Crimes Task Force and the DEA Task Force. He has taught basic law enforcement training in Jacksonville, Florida, and in Macon County. I believe in adequate coverage for all citizens. He also wants to eventually increase the number of deputies on patrol to include one each in Highlands and Nantahala. P.O. Im passionate about what I do, he said. The order the candidate answers will appear will be determined by order responses are received. For all the drugs coming out of Atlanta, Athens, right through Macon County, into Jackson County, Swain County.. Other officers are the best recruiters Ive got.. To view listings in your area, search by state below. Cook also wants to review safety protocols for the jail and the courthouse. As your Sheriff, I will be a problem-solver, dedicated to workplace, community and family balance. It's not a new car just big thoughts on planet Earth, Look up! These same instructions will be posted on social media to let the public know the option that was given to candidates for full transparency. In his current district, the political consequences of his decision are only just beginning to emerge. Holbrooks said while he may not know every aspect that goes into running the Sheriffs Office, he will surround himself with others who can help him learn. BPR explains some of the objections. They also agree on the need for more community patrolling and community involvement. I want them to be in the schools other than the SROs and have positive interactions with our kids, he said. Upon retirement from the Navy, I went to the Police Academy in Jacksonville, Fla., after which I was hired by the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, Jacksonville Beach, Fla. After approximately two and a half years, I applied to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office where I remained for approximately 20 years. In Macon, Cherokee and Clay Counties the sheriff's races were decided during the Republican primaries with no candidates from the other parties. Full time position - Macon County Sheriff's Department Posted 07/06/2021 Notice of Employment Deputy Sheriff The Macon County Board of Commissioners is accepting applications for a Deputy Sheriff to work at the Macon County Sheriff's Office in Oglethorpe, Georgia. There are those that you arrest, and when they get in the jail setting, we need to make sure we have the adequate resources for them, he said. The following is a combination of information from in-person interviews each candidate did with The Franklin Press and answers they provided via a questionnaire from The Press. I was perfectly retired, he said. It absolutely needs to be replaced, but we need to plan for the future.. I want to get into office, make the changes necessary and train the leaders of tomorrow within my agency.. He wants to have six deputies working per shift including a K9 unit on a regular patrol shift. Macon County - Sheriff Robert Holland is retiring after serving in the role since 2002. My grandfather, Jack Holbrooks, worked for the Highlands Police Department and was sworn in under Police Chief Joe Baty in 1967. With more arrests comes the need for more jail space. Chris Browning wants to bring change to Macon County and an aggressive approach to the drug problem. Questions for the Macon County Sheriff candidates. We need to offer our community members an alternative to turning to drugs and the power and knowledge to break free from addiction., Holbrooks: Eight generations of Holbrooks have called Macon County home it is this legacy, strong family values and impeccable work ethic that defines who I am. With much of my career being spent on patrol, I have experienced the shortages but it wasnt until I became Captain that I was able to see the administrative and structural difficulties of ensuring coverage across the county. I am pleased to say that the academy did a lot of good for me because I moved back to Macon County eager to pursue a career in law enforcement and was very focused on attaining my goals. To me its the passion I have inside and the fact I feel led to be where Im at, and I want to continue giving.. They will be able to count on me and I will not let them down. One of the first ways I plan to accomplish this is to refocus the agencies SRO [School Resource Officer] program and to improve the program for all these officers to be more than SROs I want them to be active community law enforcement officers that are geared toward proactive policing and reform. Were building leaders not just for today, but for tomorrow.. The number one thing were going to do right off the bat is were going to go after the community drug dealers, he said. How do you think law enforcement can strengthen its response to these problems? At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. During interviews and appearances at several recent forums, all five candidates agree the drug problem is the number one issue facing the county. The Macon County Board of Elections confirmed that Republican Dereck Jones requested a recount after coming in second place in the primary election by just 54 votes. 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