Pubdate: Mon, 17 Dec 2001
Source: Winston-Salem Journal (NC)
Copyright: 2001 Piedmont Publishing Co. Inc
Contact:  http://www.journalnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/504
Author: Dierdre Fernandes

HEGE LOW-KEY SINCE ARREST OF 3 INVESTIGATORS

Recent Days Have Been Some Of Toughest In His Career

One of the first questions Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege gets asked 
these days is, "How are you doing?"

But his answer isn't his usual and enthusiastic, "Wide open." Instead Hege 
says, "not so good."

In fact these past few days have been some of the worst in his seven-year 
tenure as sheriff of this sprawling, largely rural county.

The man who welcomed controversy with his tough talk and unconventional 
style is still reeling from the arrests last Wednesday of three of his top 
investigators on federal charges of distributing drugs.

Hege has limited his public appearances. He canceled several scheduled DARE 
graduation speeches at local elementary schools last week. He has been 
uncharacteristically low-key, deferring to state and federal agents about 
the investigation and his officers.

Sitting in his dark, bunker-style office the day after the arrests, Hege 
compared Wednesday to Jan. 27, 2000, when Deputy Todd Cook was shot to 
death while serving a warrant.

"When Todd Cook died that was the worse day in my life," Hege said. "This 
is like three guys who died. But at least Todd died in honor. These guys 
died in shame."

The arrest of deputies Lt. David Woodall, Lt. Douglas Westmoreland, Sgt. 
William Monroe Rankin, cap off a rocky year for the sheriff.

In total he has lost six officers, two of whom were longtime friends and 
political supporters, because of allegations of misconduct. There have been 
investigations of his department by the State Bureau of Investigation. His 
officers have been criticized for their aggressive tactics and for failing 
to help a drowning man.

Even Hege's personal conduct has come under scrutiny. Most recently, he 
sent out holiday cards showing him holding the bloody head of Osama bin 
Laden, with "Happy Ramadan" splashed across the top.

"I don't remember any year like this," said Larry Potts, the chairman of 
the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, and one of Hege's allies. "Just 
about everything he's done has backfired. I would hope he never would have 
to have a year like this one."

Few people would have predicted such a trouble-filled year for the sheriff. 
His popularity has soared, with appearances on such national television 
shows as 20/20 Downtown. Reported crime is way down in the county, off 25 
percent since Hege was elected in 1994.

His most vocal opponents are gone from elective office. District Attorney 
Eugene Morris and Martha Nicholson had clashed with Hege. In 1998, they 
were voted out of office, replaced by Hege's endorsements. The same thing 
happened to then commissioners Reid Sink and Jeff Cecil, who lost their 
seats to candidates backed by the sheriff.

The sheriff's problems this year seem to be less personality-driven than in 
the past.

They include:

* The resignation of two top jailers after the SBI opened an investigation 
into the prescription-drug policies at the Davidson County Jail. One of the 
jailers, J. Robert Tussey, was a close friend of Hege. A grand jury failed 
to indict the jailers last week, but the SBI investigation revealed 
management problems at the jail.

* The drowning of a 17-year-old boy at High Rock Lake. Some witnesses said 
that a sheriff's deputy on lake patrol didn't do enough to help the boy. At 
the time Hege said that his deputy wasn't a lifeguard and was on the lake 
only as patrol. But the next month, nine deputies enrolled in lifeguard 
classes.

* A car chase in August that began in Davidson and ended in High Point with 
an injured pedestrian. The chase angered High Point police and some 
city-council members. Hege was unapologetic.

More recently, the sheriff had taken some heat over the combat decor in his 
office, which he calls a memorial to the military and his two years in 
Vietnam, and for his holiday greeting card.

Predictably, there were two camps, those angry at Hege for what they 
perceive as an anti-Muslim sentiment, and those who praise him for speaking 
his mind - and what they believe is the truth.

Hege said most of these previous events were minor compared to the arrest 
of the three deputies. Westmoreland was a longtime friend and supporter.

"Up to now, it's been pretty good," Hege said.

Hege brushed off Tussey's resignation from the department.

"With Tussey and all when I first came into office, that kind of stuff 
killed me," Hege said. "But there's a lot bigger things that can eat at you."

Last week's arrest was a vivid reminder of that.

According to federal officials, Hege went to the National Guard Armory in 
High Point Wednesday morning on the belief that he and his deputies would 
be helping the SBI and the FBI with an investigation. Instead the federal 
agents arrested his deputies.

The meeting with the agents at the armory turned out to be a setup.

Nobody was more stunned than Hege, who had campaigned on the promise that 
he would sweep drugs out of the county.

"It's so disappointing that they betrayed you and your trust," Hege said. 
"And it hurts law enforcement all over."

For the past few days, the arrests have been the main topic of conversation 
around restaurant tables and office desks in Davidson County. People have 
discussed and dissected Hege's press conference a few hours after the 
arrests and - like Hege - they wondered how it could have happened.

Critics and supporters agree that Hege's disbelief seemed genuine.

His fans suggest that Hege's problem is simple: He put his trust in the 
wrong people.

"I always felt that Gerald trusted Westmoreland," Potts said. "Gerald's 
image is tough and strong, and the people within the department are the 
ones who failed him."

Potts said he believes most people will forgive Hege.

But his critics look at the problem through a wider lens. They say that 
Hege is responsible for his staff and should have been more involved in 
day-to-day activities at the sheriff's office.

"He's presented himself as the best of the best," said Randall Lanier, a 
leader in the county's Democratic Party. "And the best of the best wouldn't 
have this happen on his watch."

Hege spends too much time seeking publicity through his radio and 
television appearances, his nonprofit Blue Line Foundation, and his line of 
barbecue sauce and calendars, said Steve Hodges, a columnist for The 
Dispatch, the Lexington paper that has clashed frequently with the sheriff.

"His No. 1 goal is to promote Gerald Hege," Hodges said. "He's taken his 
eye off the ball."

Hege said he doesn't plan to change his style. But he said he would return 
to spending more time with the vice/narcotics division.

Hege will be up for re-election next year, and most political observers say 
these problems won't be his downfall.

Lanier said that the sheriff might not run as strong in the May primaries 
as in the past. But by November, unless anything else happens, "it will be 
old news," he said.

Hege said the bottom line is that voters elect sheriffs based on a concern 
over public safety. "Crime rates are down. The elderly are being checked 
on. Schools are safe," he said. "These are the things people care about."

Reported crime is down across much of the Triad, helped by tougher 
sentencing laws and a strong economy. In Guilford County, it's down 11 
percent from 1994-2000. In Forsyth, 9 percent. But it's hard to find 
another county that matches up with Davidson's drop of 25 percent.

One of the reasons is a huge decrease in reported burglaries, down nearly 
60 percent from 1994. Aggravated assaults are also way down.

Those are the issues that are important to Deborah Stamey, who lives in 
northern Davidson County. She sees deputies at her daughter's schools and 
patrol cars in her neighborhood.

"He just stands for the right things, and we support him 100 percent," 
Stamey said. "The image that he displays is very caring. He's trying to 
reach out to the younger generation. I always thought he was a hero that we 
needed around here."

Hege said it would take him a little time to get past recent events, but 
that he enjoys law enforcement too much for this to be a permanent setback.

"My therapy is being Sheriff Hege," he said. "I love my job. So you have 
three or four bad days. For some people every day is a bad day. All ink dries."
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MAP posted-by: Beth