CANDIDATES FOR SHERIFF FOCUS ON ILLEGAL DRUGS, CRIME

Three-Term Sheriff Challenged By Dairy Farmer In Alleghany

SPARTA - Alleghany County has a relatively low crime rate, and both
candidates for sheriff want to keep it that way.

Sheriff Mike Caudill, a Democrat, and Republican challenger David Higgins
both say that keeping illegal drugs and the crime that comes with them out
of the county is a leading issue in the sheriff's race.

Caudill, 48, of Sparta, is running for his fourth, four-year term. He has
been the sheriff since 1990 and also served one term as the county's
register of deeds from 1985 to 1988.

Higgins, 41, of Ennice, works as a dairy farmer and serves as the chief of
the Glade Creek Volunteer Fire Department. This is his first run for public
office.

Higgins said that improving communications with county residents by
re-establishing the community watch program is the key to clamping down on
illegal drug sales, and other crime such as breaking and entering.

"We need to get our communities involved so people will call us when they
see something going on," Higgins said.

"Citizens in the community know who is supposed to be at each others'
houses. They know what's happening in their neighborhoods. That's why
getting them involved will make it easier for deputies to do their job and
stop the crimes we are seeing."

Higgins also said that he would work to stop wasteful spending. For
example, he said that he's often seen deputies leave their cars running
while they had conversations with citizens or other law-enforcement officers.

"Why can't they just cut their cars off?," Higgins said. "If we could do
several small things like that we could save money for our taxpayers."

Caudill said that his office has continually worked hard to rid the county
of illegal drugs by regularly participating in undercover operations with
state and law-enforcement agencies in other counties.

He also said that no matter how hard his deputies work, they will never
completely stop illegal drugs or completely end burglaries and larcenies.

"Even though Alleghany County has had one of the lowest crime rates in
North Carolina for several years, it's inevitable that crime will increase
as the problems that have troubled the towns and counties below the
mountains usually find their way here," Caudill said. "In times of a slow
economy, the crime rate usually increases."

Caudill also said that when he first took office, he promised to provide
fair and impartial law enforcement to all the county's citizens regardless
of their job, financial standing or prominence in the community.

"Since 1990 my office has always tried to enforce the law fairly regardless
of who someone is and we will continue to do so," Caudill said.