Both Bulloch County sheriff candidates talked about technology, overtime and being accessible to the public during a forum Thursday night at Ogeechee Technical College. The forum, hosted by the Statesboro Herald, will be available for viewing online today at www.statesboroherald.com.

Keith Howard, a former Georgia State Patrol trooper, Jenkins County sheriff’s chief deputy and business owner, fielded questions alongside Noel Brown, a 15-year veteran of the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, now a sergeant who heads the civil paper and warrants division.

During opening statements, Brown praised law enforcement, along with others in the community, for their response during and after Hurricane Matthew. He said deputies, including those who had just gotten off duty Friday, worked continuously Saturday in the face of danger to help people.

“Sometimes we were trapped between (falling) trees,” he said.

He introduced himself as being “born and raised in Portal,” said he would be a sheriff for all citizens and that he loves people, and highlighted his military career before becoming a law enforcement officer.

Howard also expressed gratitude for law enforcement and others who worked tirelessly during the storm, and he offered condolences to the families of two men killed by falling trees — James Altman, 68, and Matthew Ward, 28, both of Statesboro.

He referred to his campaign as “grassroots” and said he felt voters “want a sheriff who is mature, experienced, diversified.

“I can lead this county. I love this county,” he said.

Partisan or bipartisan?

The candidates answered questions from both the Statesboro Herald and participants in the audience, who wrote their questions on index cards before submitting them to moderator Phil Boyum.

The first question was whether the candidates felt the sheriff’s race should be a partisan one.

Howard, running on the Democratic ticket this time, ran for the office four years ago against incumbent Lynn Anderson, who will retire Dec. 31, as one of three Republican candidates. He said he felt the sheriff’s seat should not be partisan.

“Judge Lee Deloach (who will retire from his position as Bulloch County probate judge Dec. 31) told me the best thing that ever happened was that his office should be nonpartisan,” he said. “Why should you hold a party affiliation over anybody — especially the sheriff? The Sheriff’s Association tried to change it, but legislators shut it down for some reason.”

Brown, running on the Republican ticket, agreed.

“The sheriff’s job is to enforce the law. He is not a politician,” he said. “I’m not going to support any person over another (due to party affiliation). I am a law enforcement officer, not a politician.”

Both candidates will be on all ballots in the general election Nov. 8, so voters will be able to choose who they wish without the restrictions of party affiliation.

Staffing and overtime

Since the sheriff’s race began last spring, topics of controversy have included an understaffed department and a large amount of overtime. County leaders, including Anderson, said that paying overtime is less expensive than hiring additional officers, and they plan to increase the number of deputies by a few each year, according to the budget.

When asked how he would handle the need for more deputies and to reduce overtime, Brown said he would like to see higher-ranked officers paid on salary and sent home with compensation time instead of overtime. He said he would work with county officials to achieve these goals.

“It’s going to take a while and be a process,” he said.

In response to the question, Howard held up a thick stack of papers that he said was a list of overtime pay for Sheriff’s Office employees.

“There are captains here making $30,000 in overtime,” he said. “There are secretaries making $19,000 to $20,000 overtime. Why? It’s not a simple fix.”

The more growth Bulloch County experiences, the more deputy work hours will be necessary, whether in the form of overtime or more deputies, he said.

“I will have to work with the county” to find a solution, he said, adding that retaining deputies and increasing starting pay could help with retention and recruiting.

Technology: Computers in cars

Howard said that he feels computers in cars could be a distraction and a safety issue, but he understands they are a valuable tool in a deputy’s line of duty.

“They are tools of the trade, and you can’t bypass it,” he said.

However, he added that he is open to better, safer ideas.

“If there is a way (to perform duties) better than a laptop in a car, I’ll take it,” he said. “But where is the money coming from? And we have to keep up with the times.”

He said that he has been researching the issue and discussing it with Statesboro Police Deputy Chief Rob Bryan.

Brown said technology “definitely has a place in law enforcement,” helping deputies find addresses and file reports, but added that he would like to see if the transition could be made to “iPads and smartphones,” as laptops in cars could pose safety issues.

“I’d rather a deputy have it on his person,” he said.

He also said Facebook is a useful tool.

“Technology — we’ve got to have it,” Brown said. “Social media is very important.”

Body cameras

When asked if he would influence the budget in order to obtain body cameras for deputies, Brown said, “That’s going to have to happen.”

Body cameras would erase any questions regarding complaints against deputies and would also serve as a safety measure, he said.

“It’s a great tool (for) the safety of an officer,” he said. “All you have to do is hit ‘play.’”

Howard agreed, saying that body cameras are “a good resource as a tool. We have got to come up with the funding — it has to be found.”

Funds can come from grants and Special Purpose Local Option Sales Taxes and other means besides county-budgeted money, he said.

The Statesboro Police Department is transitioning to body cameras, he said.

Training

Howard, in response to a question about training deputies and maintaining community relationships, praised Bulloch County sheriff’s Capt. Todd Mashburn, who is in charge of training.

“You’ve got to keep up with the training,” he said.

Training not handled locally is done in other cities such as Forsyth, he said, adding that such courses are important to officer safety and performance.

Regarding community relationships, “You can always improve,” he said. “You have got to be transparent, get out and be seen, have town hall meetings.”

He also suggested forming a community advisory panel and letting residents “know what is going on” within the department.

“Transparency is paramount,” Brown said. He praised Mashburn as well, listing several training exercises conducted, including active-shooter drills.

Community relationships “are very important and need to be worked on every day,” he said. He referred to “culturally oriented policing,” which he said is what “COP” stands for, a method of policing in which officers reach out to the community.

Gangs in Bulloch

When asked how he would handle the county’s gang issues, Brown said the best method is to have deputies trained in gang investigations.

“The Crime Suppression Team is very important” in fighting against gang-related crime, he said, adding that working closely with Georgia Southern University and Statesboro police is vital, as is having school resource officers in the middle and high schools.

“This is a battle that is being fought every day,” he said.

Howard said community involvement is equally important and feels that school resource officers “making friends with the students, gaining their trust” is an important step to eliminating gang activity, as is transparency and “getting the community to trust you.”

He praised the Statesboro-Bulloch County Crime Suppression Team as well, adding that they have a 98 percent conviction rate.

“We can’t do it without them,” he said.

He also said that working closely with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and other agencies is a must.

“Look at Chatham County, as out of control as it is,” Howard said. “We don’t want Bulloch County to come to this.”

Jared Akins as chief deputy?

One question directed at Howard was whether he has offered current sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jared Akins the chance to keep the position if he is elected.

“I have not asked anybody to be anything,” he said. “I don’t have a clique at the sheriff’s department. If (any employee) is doing a fine job, they will keep their jobs. If it ain’t broke, don’t change it.”

He said that he doesn’t intend to “run anybody out” and that the current employees “are good people,” and he hopes to continue the department’s progress.

When asked whether Brown had anybody in mind for his chief deputy should he be elected, he said he had not “made a promise to Jared Akins.” He did not say whether he had anyone in mind for the job should Akins vacate the position, but added, “I have a plan for everybody (currently employed) and where to put them.”

He said people are “too hinged on what’s going to happen” should he be elected.

Misconceptions

When asked what he feels is the public’s biggest misperception about the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, Brown said that it is the belief that “we don’t return phone calls.”

“There is not a person in this room whose phone call I have not returned,” he said.

The idea that deputies and investigators do not conduct follow-up investigations is also untrue, and records show the department’s follow-up work is thorough, he said.

Howard said he believes the idea that the jail is a big moneymaker is the largest misperception people have about the department. Federal and other law enforcement agencies pay the jail for housing and transport, and the jail does not set fees for inmate phone calls and items purchased through the commissary. Those accounts are bid to companies who set prices, and the jail only gets a small percentage, he said.

Closing statements

In closing, Brown said, “This campaign has definitely been an eye-opener.” He said he has met a lot of people and has had a great deal of personal contact with voters as he worked his campaign.

He said that if he is elected, he plans to move his office to the front of the Sheriff’s Office building to allow easier access for visitors.

“I can’t be anybody but myself,” he said. “I am who I am, and I am not going to change.”

He added that he will be “accessible and accountable.”

Howard closed with saying, “It’s sad he has to say he is going to be accessible. That is a no-brainer.”

He said a sheriff “has to stay on top of things. You can’t depend on someone else to run your office.”

He promised to ensure all employees performed their best to ensure public safety should he be elected.

“I believe if you do your job, we don’t have a problem. If you don’t do your job, we have a problem.

As for accessibility, Howard pulled out several cellphones, laying them on the table before him.

“I have Straight Talk, Verizon, AT&T,” he said, illustrating his claim that he can always be reached on a personal level, not just in office.

The winner of the Bulloch County sheriff’s race will be announced after polls close in the general election Nov. 8. Early voting begins Monday.

The sheriff’s forum may be viewed online Friday at www.statesboroherald.com.

Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.