Fayetteville Observer Voter Guide 2022: Meet the candidates for Cumberland County sheriff
Incumbent Sheriff Ennis Wright, a Democrat, faces Republican challenger LaRue Windham in the race for Cumberland County sheriff.
Below are the candidates' responses to a Fayetteville Observer questionnaire. Responses have been edited for style and grammar.
LaRue Windham
Name: LaRue Windham
Age: 63
Immediate family: Mother, Mary, and son, Cuyler III
Occupation: North Carolina Department of Public Safety probation and parole officer
Elected office held: None yet
Contact: WindhamforSheriff2022@gmail.com
What are the three biggest law enforcement challenges the Sheriff’s Office faces, and what would you do to address them? 1. Build trust. Morale is awful, deputies are afraid to do their job, scared of being fired, (I've talked with several). They will be able to trust me on day 1. I will support and defend each one rather (than) the enforcement or detention side. I will also weed out the trouble makers. 2. Community trust. At this time the communities I have spoken with all tell the same story, they don't receive any law enforcement or investigations no matter how small or big a crime (never see a patrol car). That will stop when I take office. A victim should feel they are the most important person there is. 3. Law enforcement, deputies actually doing the job, untying their hands. School safety is a must, our children no matter their grade level should never have a price too great to keep them safe (training) for any incident that may arise. Controlled substances. We have an opioid crisis that must be met head on, youth are dying due to this daily,(education for parents is a must). Train parents what to look for if they think their child may be using any drug, and how to have a conversation with their child about controlled substances and the effect that using has on the entire family. We are losing so many at a fast rate.
What is your philosophy on how law enforcement should handle calls involving people experiencing a mental health crisis? Mental health is a large crisis that most never think of. Mental health training will allow responders to know and recognize they are dealing with a person experiencing a mental health situation. The approach is totally different, the care, recognition and understanding of the MH crisis should be taken into consideration.Each MH call is different, and having the ability to recognize that will be vital to success.
What crimes have you identified as most prevalent in the county and how would you address them? I mainly hear of three that appear to be the most prevalent. Breaking and entering, theft and drugs: Even though there are many more just as important such as domestic violence, robberies etc. B & E's are due to not enough coverage and deputies not learning their areas and meeting the community leaders. Once again, I hear citizens say they couldn't tell me a deputy's name (proactive law enforcement, not reactive). I want deputies to "shake the trees and see what falls out." I will back them 100%. I am called on a regular basis about someone's 4 wheeler, motorcycle being stolen, shed being broken into. Folks are tired of what their hard earned money has provided for them and for someone to come along and help themselves to their property. Ensure someone is held accountable and trust the justice system will do the same. Controlled substances is a hard battle to fight (I've done it as an undercover narcotics agent buying various narcotics and making cases on individuals and seeing them go to trial), my opponent hasn't. My idea of having a successful narcotics unit is to form a county-wide narcotics unit made up of individuals from the agencies within Cumberland County giving the unit full reign over the entire county. It was very successful one time and can be again.
Ennis W. Wright
Name: Ennis W. Wright
Age: 63
Immediate family: I appreciate having loving, loyal, supportive, and caring immediate and extended family members.
Occupation: Sheriff
Elected office held: Sheriff of Cumberland County
Contact: Sheriff@ccsonc.org; 910-323-1500; Sheriff Ennis W. Wright: Cumberland County NC on Facebook; Twitter: @Sheriff_EWright; Instagram: @Sheriff_EWright
What are the three biggest law enforcement challenges the Sheriff’s Office faces, and what would you do to address them? 1. Recruitment for the Sheriff's Office and Detention Center: We have implemented the Sheriff's Office Citizens' Academy. The academy's goal is to help those attending gain a more comprehensive understanding of what is required for deputies to perform their duties effectively and how they serve citizens. Our recruiters continuously attend multiple recruiting events and public functions throughout the year. We have our own BLET (Basic Law Enforcement Training) Academy, which commences twice a year. BLET Cadets are paid and receive benefits while enrolled in our academy. Our DOCC (Detention Officer Certification Course ) is also held several times a year. Cadets are also paid to go through the course.
2. Calls for service responding to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and detainees in the Detention Center with mental health concerns: Every deputy and detention officer receives annual in-service training for responding to individuals with a mental illness. Deputies and detention officers complete C.I.T. (Crisis Intervention Team) Training. The C.I.T. training course requires an extensive 40-hour curriculum taught over five consecutive days. The course emphasizes understanding mental illness and incorporates developing communication skills, practical experience, and role-playing. Deputies meet mental health professionals, consumers, and family members in the classroom and through site visits.
Another resource we utilize is Alliance Heath. Alliance Health is a managed care organization that provides public behavioral healthcare for citizens, and they assist with short-term crisis response, stabilization, and intervention for adults and children experiencing a mental health or chemical dependency crisis
3. The war on drugs: Opiate use in Cumberland County is increasing at an alarming rate. Calls for service continue to rise for overdoses and individuals with substance abuse. Deputies remain vigilant and make efforts to remove narcotics off the street daily. School Resource Officers (SRO) teach youths about drugs' harmful and deadly effects. Another step to save lives is that employees are issued Narcan, and a free Narcan vending machine is available at the Cumberland County Detention Center.
I have advocated and will continue seeking more mental health and drug addiction resources for Cumberland County.
What is your philosophy on how law enforcement should handle calls involving people experiencing a mental health crisis? Mental health experts should collaborate and respond with law enforcement to calls for individuals suffering from a mental crisis. We need a local cognitive and behavioral health treatment facility available 24 hours a day.
What crimes have you identified as most prevalent in the county and how would you address them? Domestic disturbances and gun violence: These are two crimes that are prevalent in the county and impact everyone.
We have a full-time Victims/Witness Coordinator available to every victim who provides information for services and resources.
We work directly with the Phoenix Center, Child Advocacy Center, CrimeStoppers, ACS, SHARP Legal Aid, Care Center and other law enforcement partners.
We keep weapons out of the wrong hands by completing thorough background checks before issuing gun permits; we also revoke permits and seize weapons when domestic violence orders are issued.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office conducts safety briefings and provides training to schools, businesses, neighborhood watch committees, churches, and senior centers about gun safety. We also give out free gun locks and work with Operation Cease Fire.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Voter Guide: Meet candidates for Cumberland County sheriff
