HEWETT TAKES HELM OF STATEWIDE GROUP

The Sheriff Said He Would Work On Laws Advocating Stiffer Penalties

Soon, the Web site message from the president of the N.C. Sheriffs'
Association will be changed from words from Sheriff Dane Mastin of
Wilkes County to words from Sheriff Ronald Hewett.

Brunswick County's Sheriff Hewett was sworn in Tuesday as the
president for 2005-2006 at the association's annual conference in New Bern.

About 500 people attended the ceremony, including 75 of North
Carolina's 100 sheriffs, the new president's family and friends, and
many of his deputies.

"I will represent the North Carolina sheriffs on a state and national
level," Sheriff Hewett said. "It's a tremendous commitment, but it's
important to know that there are 99 more of them (sheriffs), and all
of them work just as hard every day at what they do."

Some of Sheriff Hewett's responsibilities as president include
supporting the sheriffs' opposition to weakening North Carolina
criminal laws, attracting and keeping the best individuals in law
enforcement by looking after pay and benefits, and building
relationships with other law enforcement agencies in and out of state.

The sheriff said he would work on getting laws on the books
advocating stiffer penalties for hard-core criminals, especially for
crimes involving methamphetamine.

"Right now we are strongly supporting Attorney General Roy Cooper,
who has really pushed hard to have the main ingredient,
pseudoephedrine, taken off the shelves and placed behind counters in
pharmacies," Sheriff Hewett said. "What we are trying to do as
sheriffs is to keep meth labs outside of North Carolina because the
labs are worse than the drug itself."

Though Sheriff Hewett knows his responsibilities as president will
keep him busy, he looks forward to balancing them with his
responsibilities as sheriff.

"This job ain't gonna be no cakewalk, but I'm excited, honored,
privileged and ready to step up to the plate and do hard work," he
said. "I stand prepared to meet the challenge."