04/08/22

04/04/22

Today I want to talk about drugs

As a Narcotics Detective, it was imperative that I keep up on the latest trends and the latest court decisions. My bread and butter was made by the Fourth Amendment. I absolutely had to keep up on court decisions that effected how I performed my job. If the court struck down a certain process or procedure I needed to know that immediately to prevent a case being tossed out or violating an individual’s rights.

I have taught Narcotics over the past couple of years to both the state and federal law enforcement recruits at the local Public Training Safety Center, here in Macon County. In that class I cover the required curriculum as well as information from my experience that will help them do a better job when they get hired.

I pay attention to the various reporting services as occasionally they have information I need. This post contains some of that information. I was watching the other day and a report on drug trends came up. They were reporting on one pretty recent trend that I found a little disturbing. Below is a copy of the emoji’s taken from the DEA website.

What these depict are what individuals, particularly young people, are using to covertly discuss drugs within their groups. As parents we should absolutely be aware of this. We may not be aware that our children are dabbling in drugs because we have not seen this. This was new to me. So, I am guessing it may be new to you. We must also not overreact if we see these on our child’s phone as there are other meanings to these same emoji’s. It should only be used in conjunction with other warning signs.

Finally, your next Sheriff should be more than a flashy sign or a bold message like “I’m coming for you!” If your next Sheriff isn’t current and forward looking, this type of information will not filter down to our schools, our SRO’s or more importantly, our parents. Your next Sheriff MUST have the experience to recognize trends in this single most mentioned concern by Macon County citizens. Without it, we will just continue the practices of the past twenty plus years. We have seen in the past several years they are no longer successful or effective on a large scale.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 828-371-4475.

#maconcountysheriff

#MaconCounty

#highlandsnc

#nantahala

 

03/16/22

03/06/22

03/02/22

Had a very productive day in Highlands. I was able to meet with a number of citizens as well as store managers, owners and clerks. They nearly all agreed that the drug problem is out of control and needs to be addressed. I was able to briefly explain my experience and refer them to my sites to review my more detailed plans to address the drug issue. I ended the evening with the Ash Wednesday service at my church. All in all a very good day!

02/22/22

01/29/22

 

FOX13NEWS.COM

New synthetic opioid found in Pasco, '20 times more potent' than fentanyl

A string of overdoses led Pasco County deputies to discover a new synthetic opioid was on their streets. T

01/21/22 

Would it surprise anyone there are a number of people that reside in Macon County that are suspected gang members.  Some are even suspected to have ties to cartels in Mexico.  These individuals are here for a couple reasons.  One may be to separate themselves from that lifestyle, but others are here because of the lack of law enforcement activities that make it difficult to perform their true functions.  That is the business of drugs and human trafficking.  These go hand in hand.  

I am the only candidate that has experience working in a gang unit.  I am the only candidate that has the extensive experience necessary to take down drug organizations.  

Lets work together to rid our county of these twenty first century issues with a Sheriff who is familiar with the trends and methods that are successful in fighting this war.  

If you agree, share this message to all of your friends.  Let’s make this happen.

1/10/2022

Our county is growing.  In the year 2000, our county population was 29,961.  Life was different back then.  I had purchased my property in Cherokee Landing and was hoping to build our home soon!  The Sheriff then was Homer Holbrooks.  The crime issues and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office were both very different back then.

In the year 2020, our population was 37,014.  That is a growth of 7,053 in twenty years or nearly 3% in twenty years.  Our county is growing at a pace more rapid than in the past twenty years.  With this growth comes new challenges.  These challenges include increased crime and different crime trends.  Today, more than ever, our issues are primarily narcotic related.  We have an open border and heroin and fentanyl is pouring through and being distributed across our nation.  This is in addition to the usual drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. 

The costs of a kilogram of drugs are beginning to fall to 1990’s pricing due to an over abundance of drugs available for sale. Our area is directly between two major areas where distribution takes place.  Those areas of major distribution are Atlanta and Raleigh/Durham with other areas of distribution in between. This puts Macon County right in the path of distribution.

What we DON’T need is a Sheriff who:

*  will take us back to the year 2000 while the criminals are moving into 2022.  

*  who has not attempted to make changes.  

*  who has not addressed corruption or reports of corruption because of the desire to keep their job.  

*  who thinks he can pick and choose what laws he can enforce because he believes he will be the Sheriff and can do what he wants.

What we DO need is:

*  a Sheriff unlike the Sheriff’s of the past thirty or forty years. 

*  one that has the experience and leadership to guide us into the next era.  

*  a Sheriff who can recognize trends and direct his assets accordingly.  

*  someone who has had experience in dismantling drug organizations both big and small.  

*  a Sheriff who has practiced leadership skills in a variety of settings.    *  a Sheriff who has a record of responsiveness.  

*  a Sheriff who is only concerned with fixing the problems we have and not the money or authority the position affords.  

*  a Sheriff who will not be concerned with the next election.  

I am that Sheriff who will take us into the next level.  I am that Sheriff who will NOT ignore corruption issues as they arise.  I am the Sheriff who has the experience to address the drug issues.  I am the Sheriff who will respond to your concerns.  I am the Sheriff with tested leadership and proven experience.  I am that next Sheriff.

This week we will talk about the drug epidemic that has grasped our beautiful county and effected many of it’s great citizens.  

I could start by saying the same old thing other candidates are telling you.  I WILL be tough on drugs.  Drug dealers may want to consider renting a Uhaul truck to relocate.    Now that I have given the same platitudes that the other candidates give you, let’s get into the meat of the solution!

I will begin by telling you something the other candidates are not.  I will go into detail as to just how I intend to carry out my proposals!  I want to begin by giving you the realization that we will never get rid of drugs completely!  We can however, make it very difficult to them to do business in Macon County.  

The very first thing I intend to do once the election is decided, I will immediately arrange a meeting with the group supervisors and Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Asheville to discuss coordination between our two offices.  Currently the MCSO works on a task force with Homeland Security.  While they do have a varied area of responsibility, the DEA has a primary responsibility of narcotics investigations.  I have worked closely with the DEA for a number of years in the past and am acutely aware of the benefits of utilizing them in a limited role.  Utilizing our federal partners brings additional manpower and funding.

Second, I will meet with the neighboring county Sheriff’s to discuss the possibility of a local task force.  The benefits of this could be Deputies/Officers who are cross sworn to minimize jurisdictional issues.  This adds additional assets in the fight to dismantle drug organizations.

I will also install a drug tip hotline where the tips go directly to the Narcotics Detectives.  I have mentioned this one before and it was quickly brought up that MCSO has an application for computers and smart phones that do the same thing.  I just want to point out that many of the people I speak to pull out flip phones that do not take an “app.”  So, as I am SURE we don’t want to leave out any of our citizens, I will still install a phone line.  I will instruct that each complaint is investigated by someone.  Depending on the complaint, that could be a patrol officer or it may be the Narcotics Detective.  

I will mandate when someone is arrested with possession of a specific amount of drugs, a Narcotics Detective must interview the arrestee before they are placed into the jail.  

I will institute a field contact form (if one is not already in use) to build a data base of those citizens we contact but don’t have enough to conduct an investigation or effect an arrest.  

I will ensure when a citizen calls in a complaint,  they are informed their complaint is received and upon completion of the investigation they will receive a result.  

I will conduct periodic audits of the complaints to ensure they are being properly investigated.  

The supervisors of the Narcotic Detectives will ensure periodic status meetings are held to receive updates on progress of investigations.  That supervisor will then ensure the command staff is aware of those cases needing further attention.  

Finally, I want you to ask yourselves this question, if the MSCO was being effective in their drug investigations, why would 88% of the county feel otherwise?  Remember, all of my opponents have had a responsibility for investigating drug crimes in Macon County and yet it just continues to get worse.  They are all now making sure you know they have some experience in this area.  Again, no specifics, just generic statements.  

NONE of my opponents have the depth of experience (if any) that I have garnered over my decades in law enforcement.  We have tried it their way, let’s try something else.  

As a side note, if we do not address the potential rehabilitation of these addicts once they are incarcerated we are spinning our wheels.  I will be addressing this subject once again in the near future.  

Trying new things is what you do when you are leadership tested and experience proven!

1/29/22

I was sent an article out of Pasco County, Florida. It was about a new synthetic drug that is being sold. It goes by the street name “I

I was sent an article out of Pasco County, Florida. It was about a new synthetic drug that is being sold. It goes by the street name “ISO” and is 20 times more potent than fentanyl. The reason this is even more of a problem for us is that it is resistant to Narcan. This will devastate thousands of families before we can get a hand on it. We need a Sheriff who is telling you a lot more than “we will get tough on drugs” or “we will do a full assault on drug dealers.” Unlike other candidates who claim they are the “only” candidate, I AM the only candidate with the experience to dismantle these drug organizations. I promise to address the drug issue head on. I have detailed plans to do so.

https://www.fox13news.com/.../new-synthetic-opioid-found...

 

FOX13NEWS.COM

New synthetic opioid found in Pasco, '20 times more potent' than fentanyl

01/2622

Interesting fact. Do you know that approximately three quarters of all NC drug overdose deaths involve more than one drug? Fentanyl has increasingly become one of the more common drugs found to be involved. With our borders being as open as they are, this drug is being seized in alarming amounts. Drug users tend to mix amphetamines with opioids in the belief that they will counter the effects of the opioids.

With the increase in drugs pouring over our borders, we need to be more proactive in addressing the local issues. We have to have more than the platitudes of conducting an assault on drug dealers. What does a drug dealer look like anyhow? What are their methods of ingestion? What are the trends? Where are the primary trafficking centers and how does that effect Macon County? What are the concealment methods? What are the signs of a meth lab? There are a myriad of questions we need to understand in order to better address drug crimes. It is much more complicated than stopping a car and making a lucky seizure.

We need a Sheriff who is well versed in all of those questions. We need a Sheriff who has a plan. I am that Sheriff.

01/08/22

Our county needs to take the fight to the drug organizations that are turning our families into addicts and worse. If you don’t think human trafficking is part of this, you are not paying attention.

I have met with several of our firefighters and they have all agreed that drugs and it’s consequences are one of our biggest issues. Along with the health consequences come the other issues with it. Burglaries, thefts and violence are all part of the drug world. We need a Sheriff who is familiar with the methods utilized by these drug organizations and has the experience to dismantle and disrupt them from the ground up.

I am the only candidate with experience in dismantling drug organizations. I have dismantled many drug organizations starting with the lowest common denominator. I will work hard to make our county safe. With your assistance we can finally make a change and stop this revolving door in Macon County.

12/28/21

A couple weeks ago, I was speaking to the Franklin Firefighters. Just as I was getting ready to begin, a call came in and it was about a 21 year old male who had a possible fentanyl overdose. The sad thing was as the dispatcher began to speak over the radio, the firefighters were already speaking out loud predicting exactly what the call was going to be.

A recent study shows fentanyl overdoses have doubled in the past year. We need to work hard to get ahead of this menace.

I am the only candidate with sufficient experience to address this killer of our families. I will work hard to make these dealers face justice. There will be no revolving doors. If I find an overdose death I can track back to a specific dealer. I will work with the DA to charge him or her with the death.

11/16/21

I saw a response by one of my opponents to a question posed to all of us. While he kinda has a point, I believe it sums up why the citizens feel the way they do in Macon County.

The question was relating to our experience in drug investigations. At the end of his answer he mentioned that the issues in Macon County are more than drug related. In that respect he is correct. He also said that to concentrate on that is one dimensional thinking. This is where we part company.

Is there anyone who doesn’t believe that the majority of crime is at one point or another NOT related to drugs, their abuse and the desire to get more?

I talk a lot about my drug background and my plans for drug enforcement improvements. That is because I know what this octopus looks like. Each of it’s tentacles emanate from the head that is a drug. At the tip we find domestic violence that ruins our families and endangers our children. We see burglaries and dealing in stolen property that rob us of our security and we see death to name a few.

I have to disagree with my collegue and opponent. Addressing the drug crime in Macon County is addressing most of the crime and therefore it is very multi-dimensional. This is what having tested leadership and proven experience allows me to do. Think multi-dimensionally.

11/15/21

This week we will address kids and how I plan to protect them.

A month or so ago, I delivered a couple signs to a citizen who had requested them. We stood on her porch and discussed the excessive traffic coming and going from her neighbors house. We discussed how she had called in complaints to the MCSO only to get no response.

So imagine my surprise when she became angry with me a few weeks later. When I asked what the issue was, she said “because you hate kids!” I hope my four daughters, one of which I adopted, and my ten grandchildren don’t find this out! Heck, at Christmas I volunteer my time with kids to wrap gifts, buy presents and all around ensure they have a great Christmas to the best of my ability. There is more, but that is between me and my God. But I was informed an opposing candidate was informing our citizens of my distaste for our most vulnerable.

Here is what I want you to know. You are hiring a Sheriff. That Sheriff’s first responsibility is to protect the citizens of his county. An effort should be made to ensure at risk kids have an alternative that provides positive mentors when possible. To that end, in September, I contacted a Macon County citizen to brainstorm about possible after school programs. I have researched the Police Athletic League and how we could incorporate it into something beneficial for Macon County. I will certainly continue what programs the MCSO has and enhance them if possible. The “Shop with a Cop” program is a keeper. It is one of my favorites. As a small child, it was programs like those that many times provided my siblings and I gifts at Christmas.

Here is the thing that as a Sheriff I will absolutely do to protect our children. I will aggressively address the drug epidemic that ruins our families and endangers hundreds of children every day. I will ensure that when domestic abuse is discovered, it is prosecuted to our fullest abilities. I will ensure that their schools are protected by ensuring the School Resource Officers are well trained to respond in the event of an active shooter. And finally as your Sheriff, I will ensure that when your family is the victim of a crime, that crime will be investigated. You will stay informed and we will endeavor to ensure you receive the justice you expect and deserve.

All the social programs that are now in process, or will be instituted in the future, will only provide the goal of a positive self image and offer the tools to make the proper choices in their future life. Hopefully they will develop the skills to recognize them.

What will protect your children and the ones you love the most is a strong Sheriff. A Sheriff who is well versed in the leadership techniques needed to train and grow the next generation of law enforcement. A Sheriff who will put you above himself. And a Sheriff who knows the law and enforces it equally and without prejudice to every citizen of this county. That Sheriff is Bob Cook! He is the one who is leadership tested and experience proven!

11/13/21

The good, tax paying citizens of Macon County that reside outside of the city limits of Franklin and Highlands are not getting what their taxes pay for. Thursday night, I once again heard complaints about a lack of patrol visibility. This time in Burningtown. I have put forth plans to increase patrol coverage in those areas.

I can see a way to get some help to areas like Nantahala and Scaly Mountain. This requires someone who hasn’t worked in the Macon County Sheriff’s Office to see a solution. They have had their chance. It’s time for new ideas!

11/04/21

Drugs continue to be the biggest issue on Macon County citizens mind. I will ensure your complaints are heard and investigated! I am the only candidate with the experience necessary to address this issue!

10/25/21

This week we will talk about the drug epidemic that has grasped our beautiful county and effected many of it’s great citizens.

I could start by saying the same old thing other candidates are telling you. I WILL be tough on drugs. Drug dealers may want to consider renting a Uhaul truck to relocate. Now that I have given the same platitudes that the other candidates give you, let’s get into the meat of the solution!

I will begin by telling you something the other candidates are not. I will go into detail as to just how I intend to carry out my proposals! I want to begin by giving you the realization that we will never get rid of drugs completely! We can however, make it very difficult to them to do business in Macon County.

The very first thing I intend to do once the election is decided, I will immediately arrange a meeting with the group supervisors and Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Asheville to discuss coordination between our two offices. Currently the MCSO works on a task force with Homeland Security. While they do have a varied area of responsibility, the DEA has a primary responsibility of narcotics investigations. I have worked closely with the DEA for a number of years in the past and am acutely aware of the benefits of utilizing them in a limited role. Utilizing our federal partners brings additional manpower and funding.

Second, I will meet with the neighboring county Sheriff’s to discuss the possibility of a local task force. The benefits of this could be Deputies/Officers who are cross sworn to minimize jurisdictional issues. This adds additional assets in the fight to dismantle drug organizations.

I will also install a drug tip hotline where the tips go directly to the Narcotics Detectives. I have mentioned this one before and it was quickly brought up that MCSO has an application for computers and smart phones that do the same thing. I just want to point out that many of the people I speak to pull out flip phones that do not take an “app.” So, as I am SURE we don’t want to leave out any of our citizens, I will still install a phone line. I will instruct that each complaint is investigated by someone. Depending on the complaint, that could be a patrol officer or it may be the Narcotics Detective.

I will mandate when someone is arrested with possession of a specific amount of drugs, a Narcotics Detective must interview the arrestee before they are placed into the jail.

I will institute a field contact form (if one is not already in use) to build a data base of those citizens we contact but don’t have enough to conduct an investigation or effect an arrest.

I will ensure when a citizen calls in a complaint, they are informed their complaint is received and upon completion of the investigation they will receive a result.

I will conduct periodic audits of the complaints to ensure they are being properly investigated.

The supervisors of the Narcotic Detectives will ensure periodic status meetings are held to receive updates on progress of investigations. That supervisor will then ensure the command staff is aware of those cases needing further attention.

Finally, I want you to ask yourselves this question, if the MSCO was being effective in their drug investigations, why would 88% of the county feel otherwise? Remember, all of my opponents have had a responsibility for investigating drug crimes in Macon County and yet it just continues to get worse. They are all now making sure you know they have some experience in this area. Again, no specifics, just generic statements.

NONE of my opponents have the depth of experience (if any) that I have garnered over my decades in law enforcement. We have tried it their way, let’s try something else.

As a side note, if we do not address the potential rehabilitation of these addicts once they are incarcerated we are spinning our wheels. I will be addressing this subject once again in the near future.

Trying new things is what you do when you are leadership tested and experience proven!

09/15/21

I received a question from Jimbo Ledford. It was a pretty good question with research to support his position. So I am posting it here along with my answer.

The recreational and medical marijuana legalization movement is currently spreading throughout the United States, and across the globe, at seemingly breakneck speeds. In the US alone bipartisan support is growing all across our nation, even on the federal level.

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/2021-sees-republican.../

https://www.google.com/.../house-passes-legislation...

Growing medical research is also proving that marijuana is actually a rehabilitative drug instead of the gateway drug to harder drugs that is has been touted as throughout our lives. Recent, nationwide, studies show that deaths from opioids, including the illegal drug heroin, are spiking around the United States. While the four states with legal marijuana have not escaped this trend, these states have not suffered the skyrocketing mortality rates that have afflicted other regions of the country.

“Opioid overdose death rates in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon (states with legal and recreational marijuana) remained below the national average”.

https://insight.livestories.com/.../be43094c-9e83-4780.../

Though seemingly divided on most issues, Americans across our nation are showing overwhelming support for legal and recreational marijuana legislation with less than 10% of our population still believing that marijuana should not be legal at all.

https://www.google.com/.../americans.../%3famp=1

In addition to the working population being on board with legalization across the nation, the MORE act continues to gain momentum on the federal level which would legalize the transportation of cannabis across state lines and open up the banking industry to this highly profitable industry.

https://www.jdsupra.com/.../more-act-federal-cannabis.../

Given the shifting political headwinds, the corporate sector also is taking notice. On Tuesday, Amazon released a statement explaining that it intends to stop drug testing many of its workers for cannabis. In a full statement posted on its website, Amazon will now “no longer include marijuana in our comprehensive drug screening program for any positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation and will instead treat it the same as alcohol use.” In addition to its new workplace policy, Amazon try has also announced its intention to lobby Congress to pass the MORE Act.

Hitting even closer to home, our next door neighbors, the Cherokee Indian tribe, have decided to open their doors to the medical marijuana industry and embrace the future of this plant in America.

“The Council’s approval of a medical marijuana ordinance is a testament to the changing attitudes toward legal marijuana and a recognition of the growing body of evidence that supports cannabis as medicine, particularly for those with debilitating conditions like cancer and chronic pain,” Principal Chief Richard Sneed said in a statement.”

https://www.google.com/.../north-carolina-medical.../amp/

Thank you for taking the time to read and absorb this information as it has been presented to you. My questions are

1. If marijuana legalization, in any form, was on the ballot today, how would you vote.

2. With our jails and graveyards filling up with non sentenced “criminals” and hard core drug users how much time, effort, money, and man power do you intend to use to continue to fight this war on marijuana and it’s users?

 

NORML.ORG

North Carolina: Medical Cannabis Now Legal on Cherokee Land as State Considers Reform - NORML

08/16/21

This week I want to discuss some of the most important topics various citizens ask me about as I travel around this county.

The first concern, is the drug situation. Invariably, the citizens know someone who is addicted to drugs or a location where drugs are being sold. I (I know, there’s that word again) am the only candidate in this race who has actually conducted all manners of drug investigations. I have been faced with very complex situations which were always successfully resolved. I have fortunately had experiences, due to where I served, that few law enforcement personnel ever have had the opportunity to participate in. I will bring these unique experiences along with new ideas to Macon county if elected. I will unequivocally state, if you are a drug dealer, we will be coming for you, as well as, the assets you utilize in your illegal activities. Assets seized are regulated under federal law and are restricted to specific areas where we can spend the proceeds. One area I would like to see it spent is on rehabilitation services. I do not expect this to be a huge amount so I will need to be surgical in my approach. Having been declared an expert in the area of drug seizures by the courts I can assure you I have the necessary experience to ensure we leave no stone unturned.

The second concern, is a perception of a lack of responsiveness and not being informed of the results of investigations in which they, or their friends and family are the victims. A program will be established that will dictate which cases the officers will be responsible for investigating as well as which cases a detective must follow up and investigate. This will better allocate everyone’s time to areas where they are better suited to perform. Within this program, there will be required contacts with the victim to provide an update to their case. It will also require officers to inform the victim if their case is being closed, and why. These contacts will be documented and reviewed by their supervisors. My goal is to ensure you as the victim, that you are aware of your rights and the status of your case. In my experience, this type of program has enabled me to see the benefits of keeping our customers (you) happy and informed. I learned my customer service skills while a personnel officer in the Navy, a customer service supervisor with the grocery chain Publix, and a law enforcement officer for twenty two years.

Finally, to ensure the citizens of Macon county know I am their Sheriff, I will take a page from now ex-Franklin Police Chief David Adams. I will visit the various areas of Macon County to obtain feedback from the citizens I serve. You will see me in the Sheriff’s uniform walking around our county or stopping in businesses to chat. I want to be approachable. It is the citizens of Macon county who will elect me and I promise to never forget that. This is what you get with a candidate who is leadership tested and experience proven.

07/25/21

There was a question asked of all candidates on the Macon County Debates for Charity site. I thought it was a good question and spent some time answering it. I thought I would share it here also.

Questions for all of the Sheriff candidates.

How many years of experience do you have arresting drug dealers?

For my entire 22 years of Law Enforcement experience I have concentrated on ridding my areas of responsibility of drug dealers. However I was an undercover Narcotics Detective for 14 years. One assignment within that 14 years Was as a DEA Task Force Officer. For several more years I worked hand and hand with two DEA squads. During that time I began by working on the corner dealers purchasing small amounts of cocaine and heroin and the occasional marijuana. I eventually worked up to conducting hand to hand drug purchases of large amounts of heroin as well as kilogram amounts of methamphetamine. Additionally have conducted historical drug investigations for federal prosecution as well as complicated wire tap investigations.

How many years of experience do you haveInteracting with confidential informants?

Beginning when I was in patrol in Jacksonville Beach and continuing on to my tenure with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office I developed informants for a total of twenty two years. I have had some good ones and some bad ones and some I had to rearrest for continuing to deal drugs. I typically kept a small core of really good informants who have provided information on everything from locating kidnap victims, homicide suspect identification, shooting suspects, assassination plots, public corruption, international drug traffickers, food stamp fraud traffickers and of course local drug dealers.

How many years of experience do you have as an undercover narcotics officer?

I have approximately 14 years working undercover Narcotics. Additionally, I have about one year working undercover food stamp fraud investigations and my last undercover deal I did was as a purchaser of over 100 catalytic converters. I have a total of approximately 16 years working undercover.

How many years of experience do you have compiling identifying information on suspects charged with selling narcotics?

For about 20 years I worked consistently towards identifying drug houses and the dealers who ran them as well as major trafficking organizations. My last couple years was in the homicide unit where I spent the same effort identifying shooters.

How many years of experience do you have developing plans on how to catch the suspect?

I was a Detective for 16 years. I was responsible for developing a plan to ensuring a good case, arrest and prosecution of the suspect.

How many years of experience do you have gathering, verifying and assessing all appropriate and available information?

While in the U.S. Navy, I was occasionally tasked with investigating complaints of disciplinary violations by young sailors. It was my job to either prove or disprove the violations. Once I was hired as a Law Enforcement Officer my entire time was spent developing cases either proactively or as a result of an assignment.

How many years of experience do you have maintaining surveillance of suspects to detect their habit of working?

One thing I enjoyed was conducting surveillance of targets. I was able to really home my skills one I was assigned in the Narcotics Unit. I did that for 14 years. While there I utilized every form of surveillance available to me (physical and electronic).

How many years of experience do you have selecting the undercover officers best suited to contacting the suspect and purchasing narcotics?

I occasionally had to select another undercover officer to conduct the purchase of drugs. This would usually be as a result of me not fitting the typical customer description. I did this over the period of 14 years I was in Narcotics.

How many years of experience do you have submitting written reports containing charges, available facts and evidence to authorize getting a search warrant or wire tap?

I have approximately 9 years conducting wire tap investigations. I was the affiant on approximately 99 separate applications for authorization to conduct wire intercepts. These resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in seizures of cash, cars and jewelry. Seizures of many kilograms of drugs (heroin, meth, pills and cocaine). Well over a hundred firearms and hundreds of arrests.

How many years of experience do you have participating in and conducting raids searches or arrests?

I conducted one while an officer in Jacksonville Beach and hundreds as an officer and detective with Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office either as an affiant or participant. Total of approximately 20 years.

How many years of experience do you have appearing in court as a witness for the narcotics work you performed?

I have testified in court in reference to narcotics hundreds of times. I have testified in both state and federal court. I was determined to have been an expert witness in state court in the following areas: drug terminology, street level drug operations and drug forfeitures.

How many years of experience do you have instructing a team of other detectives or police officers?

In my 14 years as a Narcotics Detective, I trained many other Detectives and a few DEA agents. Additionally I had at least two FBI agents, an FDLE agent and an NCIS agent work with me to learn how to conduct wire tap/drug investigations.

If you don't have any experience in the above listed questions, what is your plan to rid Macon County of the drug dealers?

I plan to use every tool in my tool box of 22 plus years experience to reduce drug crime in Macon County. There is very little that I have not done so when I have a less experienced Detective/Deputy assigned to a narcotics investigation I am able to provide guidance on tactics to utilize. Additionally, I agree with one of my opponents when he said Sheriff’s don’t actually do drug investigations. But he does need to be able to recognize when not enough has been done. As Sheriff I will bring to the table a very deep field of experience in combating the drug issue. Each drug dealer or drug location will in all likelihood require a different tactic depending on the facts of the case. There is no one size fits all approach. I will do what a Sheriff is supported to do. I will guide, instruct and motivate my Detectives/Deputies to think outside the box and utilize every tool they have to solve the issue. My job is to get them the tools they need to do the job! The important thing as the Sheriff is to know what tools are necessary to do the job.

The above is the difference between my opponents and someone who has been leadership tested and experience proven!

06/30/21

I was reading with interest one of my candidate’s stand on drug enforcement. I spoke about this in my second post on the issues (see my website cookforsheriff.com and look up issue “out of control drug problem”). There are many facets to this issue and many require extensive experience to solve the problem. You have to be able to know what tools you have to use and be able to think outside the box of the usual plans. However I am glad to see that my opponent does agree with much of what I plan to do. It is apparent that there is a level of inexperience with his plan as there are few details. Not everyone has had the opportunity to make a difference in this very important enforcement issue that I was able to.

As I was hoping to release some of what I have been working on later in the campaign, I will begin to be more specific so that you, the voter are better able to make an informed decision. Kind of an “apples to apples” comparison.

First, I have already met with the Chief Official in the building inspections division. I asked him what currently can be done with nuisance properties where drugs and other criminal activities take place. The answer I got was expected, but not acceptable as a citizen of this county. There is currently not a process that can force those property owners to take responsibility for their property where criminal activity is taking place.

I have a plan that would entail a team of people consisting of a building inspector, electrical and plumbing inspector as well as a few others being brought to the scene of homes where search warrants are being conducted. Once the scene is secured, they would be brought in to conduct a health and safety inspection of the premises. Any violations found would be sent to the owner of the property who will be given a specified amount of time to correct the deficiencies noted. If the property is in serious disrepair, the property may end up being condemned until repairs are made. It will not take many of these inspections to encourage those who own these nuisance properties to take responsibility. This will enable those who live near these constant sources of activity to live in quiet, peace and safety in their homes.

Mr. Bishop stated that in order to accomplish this, a county ordinance would need to be passed to allow this to happen. So, to facilitate this, I have begun working on the framework of a county ordinance to present to the County Commissioners and that will begin the process of allowing this to happen. I want to make sure you know this would be VERY NARROW in scope and would very carefully define when and where this process can be applied. This is not to control property owners whose property is junky or just “not pretty.” That is not a police issue. Crime is.

I noted my opponent mentioned he would be looking for grants to help in the rehab programs offered in the jail. I had previously mentioned the need to expand this very important program. Aside from the uncertainty of getting such a grant, most citizens are unaware that even if the Sheriff’s Office is awarded a grant, they must have the county commissioners approval before they can accept it. This is where you the voters can help. We need county commissioners who are just as dedicated to getting the Sheriff’s Office what they need to perform these important functions.

This one of several specific plans that I have begun working on and will begin to share in the near future. This is the difference between limited experience and being leadership tested and experience proven.

06/11/21

This is but one example of why we need a drug court! If we can save one person, it is worth it!

 

WLOS.COM

From 12-year-old meth addict to honors college scholar: The redemption of Ginny Burton