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."