Pubdate: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 Source: Winston-Salem Journal (NC) Copyright: 2006 Piedmont Publishing Co. Inc. Contact: http://www.journalnow.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/504 Author: Michael Hewlett Note: The Journal does not publish LTEs from writers outside its circulation area DRUGS AN INCREASING PROBLEM, CANDIDATES SAY Stokes, Chandler Campaign to Become Davie Sheriff For the two candidates competing to become the sheriff of Davie County, the major issue facing county law enforcement is the increasing problem of illegal drugs. "The drug problem in Davie County is being ignored," said Andy Stokes, the Republican candidate. He beat long-time sheriff Allen Whitaker in May during the Republican primaries. Stokes will face Danny Chandler, the Democratic candidate, on Nov. 7. Chandler also wants to tackle the drug problems. "A lot of your crimes come from drugs," he said. They said that drugs have become increasingly prevalent as Davie County continues to grow. According to statistics from the N.C. Department of Justice, the population in Davie County grew from 29,735 in 1996 to 37,927 in 2005. Over that period, the number of arrests made in Davie jumped 128 percent. In 1996, 12.6 percent of all arrests were for the sale or possession of illegal drugs. Arrests for the sale or possession of drugs accounted for 5.8 percent of all arrests in 2005. If elected, Stokes said he would establish a narcotics and drug-education unit in the sheriff's office and would work to increase cooperation between the sheriff's office and other law-enforcement agencies, such as the Mocksville and Cooleemee police departments. "You get so much more done when you're working together," he said. He also said he would expand the county's DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program to middle- and high-school students. "I'm convinced that to solve this problem that the answer will come from the kids themselves," he said. "The kids are smarter than we give them credit for." Chandler said he also would like to look at ways to improve the DARE program and agrees with Stokes that it should be expanded to middle- and high-school students. He also would like to form a drug task force to tackle the problem and increase coordination among law-enforcement agencies throughout the county. Both promote their extensive law-enforcement experience. Stokes, who ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 1998, spent 31 years with the N.C. Highway Patrol and worked as a magistrate for Davie County. Chandler worked for 20 years as a deputy in the Davie County Sheriff's Office and now works at the Mocksville Police Department. Both say that another of their top priorities is to restore credibility to the sheriff's office. Over the past two years, the sheriff's office has been the subject of three investigations by the State Bureau of Investigation. The first started after an anonymous letter alleged misconduct by Lt. Jimmy Phipps. The allegations included time-card fraud and misuse of county property. District Attorney Garry Frank concluded last year that the sheriff's office had problems but said that they did not warrant criminal prosecution. A second SBI investigation last year looked into an incident in which Whitaker prevented arrest warrants from being served on a friend of Phipps' who was accused of impersonating a law-enforcement officer. Frank said this spring that there was a "strong appearance of impropriety and favoritism" in the case, but he gave Whitaker the benefit of the doubt and did not press criminal charges. The second investigation also looked into the disappearance of marijuana that had been seized by the sheriff's office. Kevin Adams, a sheriff's deputy, was fired and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession. He was found not guilty after a one-day trial. A third SBI investigation resulted in a 15-count indictment in July against former Detective Robert Trotter, who is accused of taking more than $12,000, 11 guns and a diamond-ring set from the evidence room that he oversaw. The case has not yet come to trial. The sheriff's office also has had major turnover, with many sheriff's employees either being fired or abruptly resigning. Stokes said he would make some personnel changes if elected. "I think there is a bit of top-heaviness in the supervision side of the department," he said. "I do not plan to have a chief deputy or a lieutenant of enforcement. I plan a whole new administrative structure." He said he would have supervisors in each section of the department, and that those supervisors would report to him. Chandler declined to say what kind of personnel changes he would make if elected. "If you don't have good management and good supervision, you're not going to have a good department," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine