As a result of the investigation, authorities arrested and charged Evan Jordan Jensen, 30, with one felony count of indecent liberties with a child. Persons must be registered Bryson said he has three specific areas he believes he can enhance. 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. It was there that he was mentored by Holland before Holland was ever elected to his current position. He would like to add a body scanner to check for drugs or weapons coming into the jail and repurpose some positions to add another person per shift. I believe in fairness. Leading up to the primary, The Macon County News will publish candidate profiles for local offices. At over 500 square miles, the majority of Macon County sits outside of the Franklin town limits. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "abc3707f8ab1c57b22438d4200acd0da" );document.getElementById("e96589b9de").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Jones said fighting the drug epidemic is two pronged: cutting off the drugs on the front end and providing rehabilitation/mental health assistance. Jones: I have been blessed to have worked with some really good law enforcement professionals over the years while on patrol and in investigations. Shortly after Ashe was elected sheriff in 2002, Gunnels left "because of the politics involved." While Jones boasts diverse experience at MCSO, he highlighted his current role as a good example of why hes prepared to become sheriff. 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. That is your decision. While hed owned property in Franklin since 1999, he and his late wife moved up permanently in 2015. My three older children are young adults and they have been raised and educated here in Macon County. He says that starts with the community drug dealers. Robin Gunnels was born and raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina and moved to Sylva in 1983. OFFICE OF SHERIFF STATE-BY-STATE ELECTIONS INFORMATION STATE Elections Division Website State Elections Division Sheriffs' Election Info No. 07/07/2017. 91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount He also plans on continuing to make the K9 units a priority. Bryson: The drug tragedy in Macon County continues to grow; drug dealers are advancing quicker than law enforcement resources can evolve and it seems like we are always one step behind. Im not knocking what arrests are being done right now, he said. Candidates were asked to provide a short bio and were asked the same questions. This election and change of administration are not about reinventing the wheel, but about putting the right person in office to move this county forward. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. He joined the Navy in August 1972 during the Viet Nam War and remained in the Navy until August 1992 during the Gulf War. Id be happy if they had a term limit.. This week is Part I of the sheriffs candidate profiles with Clay Bryson, Bob Cook and Dereck Jones. While he has served in a few different capacities, hes currently in charge of the county detention center. I bring to the table experience. Personal blog If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us. I serve on several boards for the youth league sports, including the little league boys basketball and baseball., Bryson: This is my first time running for an elected position., Bryson: With Sheriff Hollands announcement that he will be retiring at the end of his current term, after much prayer and with the support of my family, I decided that I wanted to be part of progressing the sheriffs office forward. During my time in law enforcement, I had the pleasure of doing just about anything an officer can do, from patrol to traffic to evidence processing to community policing to investigating burglary and economic crimes, he added. He sees the top issues facing the countys law enforcement as drugs, patrol coverage, the perception of good old boys running the county and a lack of trust by citizens. 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton He said the need for a new or upgraded facility will be something the new sheriff will have to talk with the Board of County Commissioners about. I have a totally different vision of anybody thats working there now., He said after 20 years with one administration, its time for a change. He has served many roles in the agency and is currently captain over patrol. He is also employed as an adjunct instructor of law enforcement training at Southwestern Community College where he instructs Basic Law Enforcement Training cadets, National Park Service, in-service training, and anything else at the request of the college. He also wants to provide officers more training on highway interdiction and assign deputies with canine support to work Highway 441. I am not looking for another career or a position for the next 20 years. 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. Money doesnt always buy happiness, he said. Neither Bryson or Holbrooks answered this question, which was their right to do. Following is Part II of the sheriff's candidate profiles featuring Brent Holbrooks and Chris Browning. Browning served in the U.S. Air Force and spent five years working as a road deputy in Macon County before operating his own businesses for the past 17 years. I am a member of the Cullasaja Fire Department and have seen firsthand the integral role our volunteer fire departments and community centers have within our communities. Its another way to reach people.. He has three years of college through the Columbia College, Columbia, Mo., and an Associates in Arts degree through the Los Angeles Community College. If they have a question either myself or my staff will answer them. 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. That is why I plan to constantly seek out grants and funding opportunities to make mental health resources and substance abuse treatment more readily available and accessible in Western North Carolina. Network Menu. Its usually more so in the local elections. He said all professions have bad apples and some young people are growing up with a negative impression of law enforcement. His philosophy is to lead by example. Answer from candidate 1 Town of Waynesville will pursue staggered terms for aldermen, Residents object to LGBTQ literature at Macon library, After two weeks in court, a hung jury leads to mistrial in Knibbs case, Macon starts budget in good financial health. It just happens to be a political position, but I am elected by the people and always for the people. Waynesville is Haywood Countys only municipal g Spring 2023 enrollment at Western Carolina Univers Haywood County Schools has new leaders at several Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority received a v Clockwise from top left: Brent Holbrooks, Dereck Jones, Bob Cook, Clay Bryson. Macon County Beekeepers will hold their Bee School, Saturday, February 11 and Saturday, February 25, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. 1 month ago NC 4-H Camps Selected to Participate in NC State Crowdfunding Campaign Candidate Profiles for Macon County Sheriff Candidate Clay Bryson and Brent Holbrooks, the two candidates to respond to interview questions for The Southern Scoop News. It's Official, There's A New Sheriff (candidate) In Town. As a father, my goal has always been to protect them, love them, and defend them to the best of my ability. Eventually, Cook found his way to Macon County. This is one of the most frequently mentioned areas that citizens are unhappy with whether it is with drugs or property crimes. I will then print each candidates response to the questions in their entirety. Although I left for around three years from 2004 until 2008, I bought back all of my time, making me the candidate with the most years of service at the MCSO; 22 years of service (23-years in May 2022). Anybody that can help provide the assets, equipment, money and other resources to fight this problem we have in Macon County., His goal is to make it so the people who are bringing drugs into the county will no longer want to come here. During that time, he says he has seen from the outside how the Sheriffs Office operates and has a general idea of how theyre doing things. 331 talking about this. Ill pat you on the back when you do a great job, but if you go against my policy, youll suffer the consequences., He said employees want to be treated fairly and equally. 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. Macon County is my home. Cody Moore has officially announced his candidacy for the 2022 election . Cook believes that it will take someone from outside MCSO to fix it and noted that hes the best candidate to address the issues facing the community. The honest truth is, no, we arent exactly where we need to be, but I want to continue to build on what so many in this department have worked hard to create. In 1893 he was elected by the largest vote received by any candidate, as a member of the first board of county commissioners of Chatham under the new law for such boards that went into effect at that time. Jones began as a junior detention officer but also served as a member of the special response team (SRT), the countys version of a SWAT team, and also worked patrol and investigations for several years. Cook: Considering the Nantahala Community currently has only as a School Resource Officer in their community, they absolutely need additional officers. I have proudly served under Sheriff Robbie Holland in a variety of progressively more responsible leadership roles that I hope to have culminate in being elected Sheriff in 2022. Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Macon County Voting & Election Information Every United States citizen 18 years of age and older who have resided in the election district 30 days before an election is entitled to register and vote in that district. I am not a politician. I am also committed to moving Macon County forward into the future and making it a model department for all Western North Carolina. Macon County Sheriff candidates Jon L. Butts, Jim Root, and Tony "Chubby" Brown all lieutenants with the sheriff's office address the crowd during the NAACP Decatur Branch's. The Southern Scoop News sent the following email to all candidates for Macon County Sheriff and posted the same text on Facebook for full transparency: As all of you know, I have made the decision to not cover the Macon County Sheriffs Election. Im big on community involvement and bringing our youth up to know and to show school-age children who we are.. A recount has been called for in the Macon County Sheriff's race. He said competitive wages are helpful in recruitment and keeping officers. Sheriff Robbie Holland, who is retiring this year, told BPR that he would be happy if any of the current officers were elected. I want to make our county safer for our families, he said. 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. We dont plan to change that model. Discuss North Carolina politics. Just like criminal enterprise is constantly evolving, so is law enforcement and I want to ensure that we evolve quicker and smarter for the betterment of my friends and neighbors., Cook: I am running for office because I see a need for a course correction. Jones lists drugs, community partnerships, and training as the top three issues facing the countys law enforcement. Search by document type. What I am willing to do is to send all candidates the exact same questions, and these questions are basic get to know you questions and nothing more. She is a native of Franklin, NC who returns to WNC after serving as the assistant editor of Women@Forbes and digital producer of the Forbes podcast network. As Sheriff, my passion for direct, hands-on, community-based policies would be a constant throughout the department. Registered Bryson said he has three specific areas he believes he can enhance Gunnels... 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