Deputy morale? Jail deaths? Public interaction? What Buncombe Sheriff's candidates say
ASHEVILLE - A Buncombe County sheriff's race that has seen a few twists in 2022 comes to a head starting Oct. 20 as early voting begins.
The May primary knocked out a handful of Democratic and Republican candidates for the law enforcement office and saw incumbent Quentin Miller lock a strong win, beating out beat Democratic opponent David Hurley by about 22,000 votes with 86.21% of the total vote.
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Candidate Jeff Worley was the Republican victor with 10,675 ballot votes, but dropped out of the race on Aug. 2, citing health concerns. He was quickly replaced via official process with former Buncombe County Sheriff's Office deputy Trey McDonald.
For the general election, it's down to Miller, McDonald, and Libertarian Tracey DeBruhl. Election Day is Nov. 8.
Miller, 59, and McDonald, 49, both answered a question from the Citizen Times about some of the most pressing issues facing the sheriff's office today.
DeBruhl did not respond to a request for comment.
Please give a brief autobiography explaining your background (professional and/or personal) and what about it qualifies you to serve as Buncombe County Sheriff.
Miller: I was born and raised in Asheville and graduated from Asheville High School in 1981. I then joined the U.S. Army and served as a Military Policeman for 11 years. While stationed at Fort Bragg in 1985, I met Army Specialist Karen Sconiers and we have now been married for 36 years and enjoy spending time with our grandbabies. I hold an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the North Carolina Department of Justice and graduated from the Administrative Officers Management Program at N.C. State. Since December 2018 I have served as the sheriff of Buncombe County and am proud of the accomplishments from our agency during that time.
McDonald: I am a lifelong resident of Buncombe County where my wife and I have raised our family. I am a veteran of the United States Army. I have more than 20 years in law enforcement at the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office. I have served in every division of the Sheriff's Office with the exception of the courthouse. I have been in leadership positions at the Sheriff's Office most of my career.
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What is your main strategy and/or philosophy when it comes to supporting BCSO employees at all levels? How do you perceive morale among employees?
Miller: I will tell you that law enforcement is a demanding and stressful job. We must support our staff with the best training and mental health resources available. As the largest and highest-paid agency in WNC, we can offer more than other agencies in these areas. I hope that our staff takes pride in what has been accomplished. In 2021 we solved all 7 homicides we investigated and have solved the 2 homicides we have seen so far in 2022. That is just one example of the excellent work from the many hard-working men and women at the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
McDonald: We will treat all our employees the same way we'd like to see them treat the citizens of the county. We will create an environment of trust among our staff and citizens and nurture employees in their careers. We will accomplish this through effective recruitment of the best-qualified candidates for the job! We will also put an emphasis on training and career development so we can retain them. We see and hear that morale is at the lowest level it's been in recent memory. This low morale problem is due to the issues identified above.
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The Buncombe County Detention Center has dealt with numerous deaths in the past number of years. It's also currently implementing a medication assisted treatment plan and re-entry program to support inmates. What are three actionable steps you plan to take to reduce the number of deaths and/or improve conditions in the jail in the coming years?
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Miller: First, let me say we never want to have someone pass while in our care. Most of these deaths are the result of serious pre-existing medical conditions. Many individuals at the jail have not received medical care for years prior to seeing our jail nurse or doctor. All of these deaths have been reviewed by the SBI and NC DHHS with no wrongdoing having been found by independent review. Medicaid expansion would be the single biggest thing we can do, but the three steps I have already taken are an improved medical contract, a B-Scan machine at intake to screen for those who have swallowed narcotics and the MAT drug treatment program.
McDonald: Get qualified jail employees who are (Detention Officer Certification Course certified). Ensure proper staffing levels are maintained in the Detention center. Use all available technology to assess and screen all incoming prisoners prior to being assigned to a housing unit, this would include the screening x-ray machine, mental health and alcohol/drug abuse assessment.
What are three steps you will take to cooperate with and listen to members of the public when it comes to addressing perceived needs, issues, failures or other matters?
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Miller: I am proud to be the only sheriff in North Carolina to have a personnel advisory board made up of members of our community. Sheriff Tom Morissey started this, so he deserves the credit, but we have continued it and it is very helpful. Another example is that we have opened up the jail for community members and elected officials to tour. Your own John Boyle said he first was able to tour the jail after I took office. I have been out in the community for meetings and will continue to do so if re-elected, it’s important to hear directly from our residents.
McDonald: We will implement a full-time community action team to work within communities to identify and address their specific issues and needs. We will implement a interactive website which will allow the public to leave concerns and anonymous tips. We will use a combination of technology and crime stat reporting to identify problem areas in the community.
More information from Election Services on voter registration, polling location, early voting, mail-in ballots, and more is available at www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/election.
Andrew Jones is Buncombe County government and health care reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at @arjonesreports on Facebook and Twitter, 828-226-6203 or arjones@citizentimes.com. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Miller, McDonald, DeBruhl? Who's your pick for next Buncombe sheriff?
