The three candidates for Vance County Sheriff – Charles Pulley, Allen Simmons and Curtis Brame – were interviewed last week by WIZS’ John C. Rose. The prerecorded interviews were played on Monday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk in a question and answer format. The order of the candidates was determined by random selection.
Each candidate was given ten minutes to answer both base questions and to participate in an open discussion. The highlights of their responses are included below. To listen to the interviews in their entirety, please click here.
Question: What has been the focus of your campaign?
Charles Pulley –
I’ve been trying to talk to everybody that I can in Vance County by going door-to-door, running ads in the newspaper and talking on the radio. I’m trying to get the word out that we need change in Vance County.
We need to get the drug problem under control. It’s impossible to absolutely eliminate drugs in Vance County, but we can get a hold on these drugs. Heroin has a stronghold on Vance County right now. We need to address high-level drug dealers through federal investigations, state investigations, undercover operations and search warrants. We need to hit them at every level.
Allen Simmons –
My focus is to reach the citizens of Vance County and to introduce myself so the people can truly know who Allen Simmons is, what Allen Simmons is about and what his thoughts and plans are as sheriff.
Citizens are seeking someone with answers to solve the drug problem, the violent crime problem and to address communication issues with the community.
Curtis Brame –
Everyone knows we have a problem with drugs throughout our community – in the city limits and in the county. My focus is on doing some rapport-building among the citizens of Vance County, then we can close that gap in communication and more crimes would be reported to the Vance County Sherriff’s Office.
The sheriff and police departments do not have enough eyes and ears to combat the issues that are going on in Vance County. We need to get our community involved, get our churches involved.
Question: What can the sheriff do about the issues facing Vance County?
Charles Pulley –
The sheriff will coordinate the efforts of his duty unit, criminal investigation unit or patrol. A sheriff has to have experience in each one of these areas, and I do. I worked 30 years at the Henderson Police Department on the patrol, criminal investigation and narcotics division. I worked 10 years with the Interagency Drug Enforcement Unit.
Drug dealers know no boundaries between city and county. The ones in the county go to the city and the ones in the city go to the county. We have to collaborate to get ahold of these problems.
In addition to drugs, we also have a violence problem in Vance County – shootings, homicides and breaking and entering. We need to get a task force back together with the City, County and the Interagency Drug Enforcement Unit.
Allen Simmons –
I would start by prioritizing the list of things that are most important to the things that are least important. I plan to break the county down into four sectors and begin to hit each sector at a time, with advance notice, so people can come out and speak with the sheriff. Then, I can begin to prioritize the needs that citizens in this county feel need to be dealt with.
As I travel the city and the county and speak to people, the most important issue is the drug problem. My goal is to begin to attack the drug problem by way of connecting with different agencies throughout our county and surrounding counties and to bring in assistance from the federal government to combat these problems. We need to begin to collaborate with other agencies because this drug problem is not centralized to just Vance County. A lot of the drugs in our county are filtered out to other counties.
My goal is to be able to work with the Henderson Police Department and Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow and to work with the federal government and state agencies to attack our problems.
I wouldn’t want to reveal a lot of information about how we are going to go about attacking it because I know there are people in the criminal element listening and I wouldn’t want to provide them with too much information.
Curtis Brame –
The first plan of action is being very proactive, getting more deputies out in our communities so they can address situations.
There is a higher concentration of drugs being sold in the city-limits than in the county. I will work with the Henderson Police Department and Chief Marcus Barrow in a team effort. We have to get the SBI involved and brainstorm this thing together because it’s bigger than being the sheriff of Vance County.
Question: What makes you uniquely qualified for the position?
Charles Pulley –
I was employed with the Henderson Police Department for 30 years and was a commander with the Interagency Drug Enforcement Unit for 10 years. We worked hundreds of cases, including federal cases, and we were able to remove individuals from Vance County who were involved in high-level drug trafficking.
I have respect for both of the other candidates; they are fine guys. However, I have more experience, especially more experience in commanding a unit.
Allen Simmons –
I bring in experience, knowledge and resources that we need here in Vance County. I have had the opportunity to work here in Vance County for 20 years as a police officer. For 16 of those years, I worked with the United States Government on federal cases in both Vance County and throughout the state of North Carolina.
I have a strong working relationship with the US Attorney’s Office here in the eastern district of NC. I’m a graduate of Saint Augustine’s College with a degree in organization management, so my background is in managing organizations.
I want to see a sense of unity and concern in our community. I bring that sense of concern from my heart because I do deeply care about our community.
Curtis Brame –
I have 33 years of experience, continuing education credits and a rapport with the citizens of Vance County. I spent 31 and a half of those years with the Vance County Sheriff’s Department. I retired in 2016 with the intentions of running for sheriff. Since the day I retired, I’ve never stopped working and caring for this county.
I’m the only candidate that is still a sworn law enforcement officer. I’m the only candidate who has ever been a deputy sheriff. I’ve been in training for a long period of time. I’ve worked with three different administrators and learned a lot.
It’s more than just working drugs. Vance County Sheriff’s Department does the civil process and we have the jail. I know the ends and outs of all the procedures that go on with a sheriff’s department. Both [Charles] Pulley and [Allen] Simmons have always worked at the police department. They don’t know the duties of a sheriff – I do.
Open Discussion:
Charles Pulley –
People in Vance County want to see change in their community. We need to get the crime problem under control. If we can remove drugs from our county, that will remove some of the crime from our county.
We are known right now as the heroin capital of this part of the state. People are coming from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Virginia to purchase heroin because it is plentiful and cheap.
I ask everybody to evaluate each candidate and get out and vote. Early voting begins October 17.
Allen Simmons –
We are sitting on a prime spot in Vance County with I-85, US-1 and a lake. This is not just a crime issue for me, it’s more than that. It’s a complete change and a complete growth that we need here.
I want your families to be safe here in this community. Where there is unity, there is strength. That’s what we need here in our community and I will give 100% of me to make sure that sense of unity is brought back.
Curtis Brame –
I focus my energy on being the best. I stood tall and was always proud of being a deputy sheriff. My uniform was always clean. My patrol car was always clean. I’m a go-getter and a hard worker.
I care about this county. I retired in 2016 and chose to come back because I want to make a difference. I, alone, can’t make a change. Only God above can make changes. We’ve got a lot to do in this county. I feel I’m the person to motivate the deputies and my team to get the job done.