Charles Harris takes on Sheriff Woodard

April 29--Charles Harris said his phone has not stopped ringing since he announced he was running for sheriff of Wilson County.

Harris, who sat down for an interview with The Wilson Times, took aim at what he believes are some shortcomings in the present administration.

Harris said voting for current Sheriff Calvin Woodard has been anticlimactic for some citizens.

"The reason for that is that for the past three and a half years people thought they had a sheriff that they knew," Harris said. "And since he got into office, what they are telling me is he is not the man they knew before."

Harris said people have complained to him that Woodard doesn't return calls.

"I've talked to people who say they have been trying to get in touch with him for a year and a half to two years and they finally just gave up," Harris said.

Harris said a sheriff should respond to every phone call.

"I'm not saying he is supposed to answer 5 minutes after the call, but he should keep a daily log of the calls that come in and try to return each call the day it came in," Harris said. "Look at it this way, if they didn't need you that day then why did they call you that day? So they need your help now."

Harris said if you can't help at least let the person know you can't help.

Incumbent Woodard and challenger Harris face off in next Tuesday's primary. The winner faces Republican Joey Gardner in November.

CRIME

Harris said he has talked to some people who told him they moved out of Wilson County because of what they said was an increase in crime.

"They told me their houses were broken into, their cars broken into and damage to their properties and according to those who complained, nothing was done about it -- or it wasn't handled in the way they thought it should have been handled," Harris said.

Harris said people who did not know him took the time to come to his headquarters and even to his home to talk to him about his positions on the issues.

Harris said one of his concerns about the Sheriff's Office is that it can give more.

"I don't know if it is a lack of training or lack of cooperation within the office or if it is just that the office is just not focused," Harris said. "When I say not focused, maybe the top supervisors are not where they should be. Maybe people are in the wrong positions and if they were in other positions their performance would be much greater."

Harris further illustrated by saying maybe there is a person supervising the detention center and maybe they should be the training supervisor for officers on the road.

Harris said if the performance was greater the citizens would be happier.

"I'm not saying the people at the sheriff's office are not working hard, but I'm saying they might be working hard in the wrong direction," Harris said.

Harris admits he hasn't seen any official numbers, but said going by what he is hearing from citizens, there seems to be a rise in larcenies in Wilson County.

"People are coming to me and saying that they don't have one break-in in a 12-month period, but several," Harris said. "I've had people tell me they have had as many as three and four break-ins -- the same residence."

Harris said there has to be a way to break the pattern of those who are committing the crimes.

Harris said if he is elected he will get rid of the chief of staff position that exists now.

"The duties of the chief of staff would be given to some other upper level supervisors," Harris said. "There are captains and lieutenants that can share those duties. If I have a chief deputy or a couple of majors or three captains, then it can be spread among them. There's not room for that position. I just can see that it is feasible to have a chief of staff."

ANIMAL CONTROL

Harris said it is time for a new animal shelter. He knows the present administration and the past administration wanted one, but he said having a new shelter should be an ongoing concern.

"We definitely have to have it," Harris said. "It's not fair to the staff who has to work there. It's not even fair to the animals that are caged there."

Harris said the whole community can put their collective heads together and come up with the way and the money to get a new shelter.

"It may not be the finest shelter, but we need a decent place for people to come to view and adopt the animals," Harris said.

Harris said there are animal lovers who come just to pet and love the animals, and the shelter should be nice enough for their visits as well.

STAFF TURNOVER

Harris said he is concerned with the large number of employees who have left the sheriff's office.

Recently Woodard talked to Wilson County commissioners about deputies leaving the county for higher pay. He asked again this year for pay raises for his employees.

Harris said he doesn't think lower pay is the only reason people are leaving the county.

"I'm not saying that some don't leave because they don't make enough money, but with the amount of turnover that it has come to at this point I really believe there is something else that is causing people to leave," Harris said.

COSTS TOO MUCH

Harris said if he is elected he will drive a county assigned vehicle.

"The sheriff has the opportunity to drive a county assigned vehicle just like his deputies," Harris said. "Or the sheriff can get a contract vehicle, buy his own insurance."

Harris said the blue lights and sirens put on the car would be county property.

"I don't think it is necessary for the taxpayers to pay all of that money when you can use a county vehicle," Harris said. "You should have a personal vehicle. At this point, there is an allowance for the vehicle that this sheriff drives. I wouldn't need that."

Harris would not commit to say how much and he would not say for how long, but did say he would give up some of his salary if the money would go to raises for his workers or to a new animal shelter.

"I wouldn't say I would give the money every year," Harris said. "Quite naturally the cost of living goes up. And if the county is giving across the board to everyone else, I would appreciate having it also."

WHY RUN NOW

Harris said he made up his mind approximately 10 years ago that he would run for sheriff in 2014.

"Some of things I am mentioning now, I said them while working in another administration," Harris said. "Some of my suggestions were implemented and some were not. At this time, some things I mentioned have been dropped and are no longer being implemented. I'd like to see them restored as well as other ideas that I have."

Harris said it is different working under an administration and actually being the administration.

Harris said he has been concerned all of these years, and now he would like the opportunity to put his ideas into action.

"I am sure it will make a great difference to our officers at the Wilson County Sheriff's office," Harris said.

PATROL AND OTHER ISSUES

Harris said he would like to see more men and women working at night.

"I can pass the sheriff's office on any given day and the parking lot is full," Harris said. "Some of those people may be in the office doing paperwork. They have computers in the vehicles and can do their paperwork in there."Harris said when a deputy wants to do his work, he could go to a parking lot and fill out the paperwork.

"That would give the store more security while you are filling out your paperwork," Harris said.

Harris said he would like to see more patrol at night so citizens will feel safe while they sleep, knowing a deputy is patrolling their neighborhood.

Harris said when he said "keep it simple" as his slogan, he means having officers assigned to particular zones.

"I'd like my officers on weekends and afternoons and see people in their yards, if they are not busy pull up in the driveway," Harris said. "They should tell the person who they are and tell them they want the citizen to know who they are and the officer should know the people, too. Give them a business card. Tell them if they need to, give the deputy a call -- keeping it simple."

BAD CHOICE?

Harris said that hiring a person to head the jail who never had that kind of work experience was not the best choice.

"To take a man who runs a day care center and put him as head administrator of the detention center, which is a high liability, is something I would have never done," Harris said.

Harris said although that person is no longer the head of the jail, he is still working at the jail.

"There's got to be something wrong if you put him there and he didn't make it as an administrator," Harris said. "But to have him still working there and making one of the highest salaries still in the detention center -- that is something I would not have done. I think that was a very bad choice."

OPEN DOOR

Harris said if he is sheriff, he will have an open door policy for his employees.

"I would let my staff know that we will work together," Harris said.

Harris said the open door should also extend to other agencies.

He said recently he read where there were over 400 people for a drug round up and Woodard was not involved.

"When reading the paper as a citizen, you wonder why Pitt County Sheriff's office, Nash County Sheriff's office, Rocky Mount PD, Wilson PD -- everybody is involved and Wilson County Sheriff's office is in the middle and played no part in it," Harris questioned.

Harris said he wants to be a part of things like that and will have open dialogue with other sheriffs and police chiefs.

FAMILY AND CHURCH

Harris said his family means a lot to him. His wife Charlene and three adult sons mean the world to him, he said.

"I have a wonderful family and my wife's family is my family," Harris said. "We don't think about in-laws as separate. We are all one big family.

Harris is a trustee and longtime member of Faith Temple Church on Minchew Street.

[email protected] -- 265-7847

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