Name: Charles Pulley

Candidate For: Vance County Sheriff

Age: 57

Town of Residence: Henderson

Previous position(s) held: Lieutenant – Henderson Police Department (Retired)

Degrees/Certifications Earned: Basic Law Enforcement Certification; Advanced Law Enforcement Certification; Criminal Investigations Training – N.C. Department of Justice; Drug Unit Commander Training – University of North Florida; Major Case Investigation -Federal Bureau of Investigation; Interaction Management Program – N.C. Department of Justice; Community Oriented Policing – Coastal Plains Law Enforcement Training Center; Human Relations – State of N.C. Human Relations Committee; Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Training – United States Attorney’s Office/DEA; Investigations and Management of Hate Crimes – National Criminal Justice Academy; Federal Drug Enforcement Training – Drug Enforcement Administration

What motivated you to run for Vance County Sheriff?

I am motivated to run for Sheriff because I care about Vance County. I can see that the violence and drug sales and drug abuse have increased dramatically over the past several years. I believe I have the experience and knowledge to lead the Vance County Sheriff’s Office in the right direction to reduce the drug and criminal activity.

Citizens expect law enforcement to keep their families safe whether at home or anywhere they may go in the county. We must address the violence and drug trafficking in our community. We must target and aggressively prosecute these individuals involved in criminal activity in our county.

What distinguishes you from other candidates?

I believe I have the training, knowledge and experience that the other candidates do not possess. I have experience in patrol, criminal investigations and narcotics investigations. During my 30- year tenure with the police department I was the Commander of the Interagency Drug Enforcement Unit for 10 of those 30 years.

I supervised and coordinated hundreds of state and federal investigations. I prepared and submitted all budgets associated with the drug unit. We worked closely with all agencies including the SBI, DEA, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

What do you believe is the single most important skill to possess in order to be a successful sheriff?

I believe the most important skill to possess is the knowledge of each aspect of law enforcement; patrol, criminal investigation, narcotics and administration. A sheriff must have a working knowledge of all aspects of the department to be an effective leader.

If elected, would you keep the Sheriff’s department moving along its current path or change the course?

I would change the course of the department to address the current problem of violence and drug trafficking in our county. I have several plans that are included in my platform if elected Sheriff:

• Citizens Advisory Board to meet periodically with the Sheriff to discuss concerns and information regarding their community.
• Proactive Criminal Enforcement Team to patrol Interstate 85 and U.S.1 and other areas where drug trafficking is a problem. 80% of money seized is returned to the County and this money could be used to purchase vehicles and equipment needed to fight crime in our community.
• A full-time Crime Prevention Officer to work closely with residents to create more community watch groups throughout the County.
• E-Mail Alerts and other forms of electronic communication that could inform the public and media when and where crime occurs and other information that should be immediately released to the public.
• Create and train a full-time Crime Scene Technician who would respond to homicides and robberies, as well as breaking and entering incidents at businesses and residences.
• A Sheriff’s Citizens Patrol that could be operated by graduates of an Academy that would offer 40 hours of training in crime prevention and other areas of law enforcement.
• A chaplain to provide specialized guidance, counseling and assistance to deputies and their families along with a program at the jail for inmates.
• Restructuring and redirecting the Narcotics Unit to work with both State and Federal law enforcement authorities including DEA, ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
• Implement a career development program that would give employees an opportunity to not only attend state-mandated training but to continue their training in other fields of law enforcement.
• Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) – a program taught by deputies in local elementary and middle schools. This program helps mentor and educate students on gang awareness.
• Security/threat assessment – make sure locations have a plan in place to address emergencies and disaster whether natural or man-made. These locations would include businesses, schools, churches, daycare facilities and nursing homes.
• Create a link for information on cold cases on the Sheriff Office’s website that would give residents a synopsis of the case and to ask for any information or details the public may have.

What do you believe is the biggest concern facing Vance County today and what would you do as Sheriff to address that concern?

I believe the biggest concern facing Vance County today is the heroin epidemic that is causing so many drug overdoses and overdose deaths. I would address this problem through undercover operations, search warrants, highway interdiction/investigation and prosecution through both State and Federal laws.

A narcotics unit must be proactive and identify the individuals involved in narcotics trafficking and aggressively investigate and arrest these individuals.

(The photo accompanying this article provided by Charles Pulley.)