OFFICER TURNOVER HOT TOPIC IN SHERIFF'S RACE

Reducing Drug Crime And Keeping Experienced Officers On The Force Are Two
Of The Issues Candidates For Beaufort County Sheriff Are Focusing On For
The Nov. 5 Election.

Sheriff P.J. Tanner, a Republican, is running on his record, claiming
several of the goals he set out in his 1998 campaign have been met. He said
the Sheriff's Office has greatly reduced turnover and increased the amount
it gets each year from grants.

"We've reduced the turnover rate by 40 percent," Tanner said. "We've
offered them a roadmap for their career."

Tanner said there still is room to improve, but he thinks the changes he's
made in the pay structure have helped cut down on the number of officers
leaving the department.

Challenger Democrat N.M. "Butch" Polk, said the Sheriff's Office hasn't
improved turnover enough. He also said there's a place for retired officers.

"I think it's still too high," Polk said. "If you hired retired police
officers, you could get them to come back for much less."

Polk said one of the biggest problems the county faces is illicit drugs.
He'd like to see more done to put dealers behind bars.

"It looks to me like they are just going after the street dealers," Polk
said. "We need to go after them at all levels."

While Polk realizes there is a Drug Enforcement Agency office in Beaufort,
he said more should be done by local authorities, with the help of some
state agencies like the State Law Enforcement Division.

Tanner said he's done a lot to speed the process of getting drug dealers
behind bars. He said one of the problems in the past was the wait for
forensic evidence from SLED's drug lab.

"Until this year, we had a three-year backlog on drug cases," Tanner said.
"Now we don't have any. We're caught up."

Getting the drug lab was something Tanner pushed for during the past two years.

Tanner said securing grants was part of his campaign in 1998. He said the
Sheriff's Office had not been aggressive in getting equipment and training
through grants and he thought that was a missed opportunity.

"We've sought grants that will not only benefit law enforcement, but also
the county as a whole," Tanner said. "We've gotten more than $1 million in
grants in collaboration with William Winn (director of Beaufort County
Emergency Management)."

Polk said he thinks there should be more deputies on the road. He sees the
current structure as top-heavy, with too many in the command staff. He also
thinks the Sheriff's Office should recruit people from the community where
they serve.

"I believe you can find someone in the area who wants to be a deputy," Polk
said. "A lot of these people won't trust someone who isn't from around here."

By getting locals on the job, Polk thinks deputies would have an easier
time getting information from people in the community. Tanner said his
office has worked to get officers from the community, but he also wants
officers with experience.

"We want to get the most qualified officer for the job," Tanner said. "We
do encourage people from the community to send us applications."

Tanner said his office advertises for jobs through the local media and in
county offices. He said the biggest recruiting problem is being competitive
with the local job market.

"A lot of these people can make a lot more working at Home Depot or Lowe's,
and that's because of the base salary," Tanner said. "It's hard to convince
people to take a job where they are in harm's way when they can make more
money doing something else."