Candidates for Sheriff talk about drugs and other crime issues
5/15/2008 – Christie Pool www.pickensprogress.com
The four candidates running for Pickens County Sheriff spoke Tuesday morning, May 20, at the chamber’s monthly breakfast meeting, pitching their platforms.
Long-time Sheriff Billy Wofford addressed the candidates and cautioned that life will change drastically for the one elected to office in January 2009. “You will become a psychologist, marriage counselor and a good friend to people,” Wofford said. “Make yourself available to the little person and to the big person.”
Wofford, who has served as sheriff for almost three decades, said he hopes to be remembered as a “Good Old Boy,” a term often used derogatorily but, he said, one that implies he was an honest sheriff who did things from the heart. “I hope the winner will continue the domestic violence policies I’ve put in place,” he said. “I also hope you all run a clean race. If you can’t win a political race on your own merits, then don’t run.”
The first candidate to speak, Donnie Craig www.craigforsheriff.com, said he is determined to make a difference as sheriff. Craig, 37, has lived in Pickens County 30 years. He and his wife Tina have two children, Tyler, 13 and Ashley, 8. They are members of Talking Rock Baptist Church. Craig began his law enforcement career in 1992 as a part-time detention officer, rising to the rank of Chief Deputy of Pickens County. In that role, Craig was responsible for the department’s annual budget as well as day-to-day operations. In 2003 Craig moved into the business field, starting Affordable Storage and purchasing Burgess Service Station.
“We’ve been doing things the same for a long time here in Pickens County,” he said. “There’s been an explosion of drugs and drug-related crime. I compare drugs to a cancer. If you have someone you know on drugs or with cancer, it tears your family apart.” Craig said he is determined to stop the prevalence of drugs in our community. “Nobody can completely stop drugs, but our community has allowed drugs to flourish, and I plan to stop it,” he said. “I also want to build a department based on integrity.”
Craig said another top issue of his campaign is animal control. He pledged to hire two full-time animal control personnel in 2009, if elected. Craig also said he would start an inmate work detail for non-violent offenders to help clean up litter along roads and clear illegal dump sites. “We have so many people in this jail who are skilled, and we can put them to work,” Craig said. “As your sheriff you’ll see a change as we push forward with these issues.”
A lifelong resident of Pickens County, Britt Massey www.masseyforsheriff.com, 44, also spoke of the local drug epidemic and put forth his goals for the sheriff’s office. Massey boasts 19 years in law enforcement, beginning in 1989 as a Cherokee County deputy before serving as a jailer and investigator. He has been employed for the past seven years with the Cherokee County District Attorney’s office as an investigator. He holds a degree in Political Science from West Georgia University. He and his wife, Vicky, have two children, Austin, 10 and Adam, 7. They are members of County Line Baptist Church.
Massey said his campaign will focus on many issues concerning the office of sheriff but highlighted the need for advanced work on the county’s drug problem and the department’s budget.
“The integrity of the sheriff’s department and the budget need to be addressed during the campaign as well as the drug epidemic,” he said. Massey said the tri-county drug task force is a well-run organization but lacks adequate personnel to truly make an impact on drug sales and use. “The weakness is manpower, and I believe the sheriff’s office should loan personnel to the task force,” Massey said. “Those personnel would have their primary focus in Pickens County but if needed could set up a surveillance in Gilmer County or elsewhere in the tri-county area.”Massey applauded the work of the drug task force, saying drug dealers don’t stay within county lines.
Massey said his work with the district attorney’s office enabled him to observe deficiencies in preparing cases for prosecution. If elected, he said, he would make sure sheriff’s personnel properly prepare cases for the district attorney’s office so cases can be effectively prosecuted. “Better prepared cases equals more convictions,” he said.The third candidate, Bill Pickle, told chamber members he had the experience to do the job. Pickle, a 35-year-resident of Pickens County, commended Wofford for his dedicated service to the community. Pickle and his wife, Jan have two children and six grandchildren. He is retired from Georgia Power and became active in law enforcement in 1992.
“Let me show you what I can do for you,” Pickle said. “When you go to vote on July 15 remember my name. There are lots of issues law enforcement needs to take up, and I could stand here all day and talk about them. I have the experience to do this job. What you see is what you get.”
Pickle said he learned from his grandfathers that you have your handshake and your good name in life, and he promised to listen to constituents and be honest. “I’ll be honest with you. I’ll either tell you I can or I can’t,” he said. “I’m as close to you as my telephone and, as far as I know, I’m the only Pickle in the book.”
Rounding out the field, current Chief Deputy Allen Wigington www.wigingtonyoursheriff.com addressed the crowd, saying he was a product of what Pickens County has to offer.
Wigington and his wife Rosie have two children, Kate, 4 and Jack, 2. They are members of Jasper United Methodist Church where he serves as the chairman of the board of trustees.
Wigington is a graduate of the state police academy, holds five advanced certifications from the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, is a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and a graduate of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Program. He has worked for 13 years in the sheriff’s office, the last two years as chief deputy. “I’ve worked hard to make Pickens County a great place to live,” Wigington said. “I’ve spent my entire life preparing for this role (as sheriff). I was taught and learned that giving was much better than receiving.”
Wigington chose law enforcement as a career, but it also chose him, he said. His great-grandfather started in 1932 with the sheriff’s office, later becoming sheriff. Wigington’s grandfather was born in the Old Jail before growing up to serve as Police Chief of Jasper. “The sheriff’s office must be a community partner,” he said. “To address the drug problem in our community, we must be interdisciplinary in our approach and work with the schools, community groups and churches.”
Wigington said he would work closely with the district attorney’s office to make sure drug dealers see swift justice. “The issue of drugs is here, and we have to address it. I feel we must work with community groups and churches to stop it. The sheriff’s office can’t do it alone. The drug task force does not have enough manpower.”
Along with Craig, Wigington identified animal control as an important issue for Pickens County citizens.
“Animal control is an issue I take seriously. We must develop a comprehensive plan to establish both long and short-term plans to address the problem,” he said. “I would support whatever plan was decided on. Whatever it takes to make the community a better place.”Saying it was an awesome responsibility to hire a deputy–– someone to receive a badge and a gun––Wigington said he will seek the best qualified candidates looking for careers, not jobs, for the sheriff’s office.
Wigington said unfunded state mandates such as providing security for the courthouse has put a pinch on the sheriff’s department budget. He said he would seek alternative grants to lessen the local payload.The sheriff’s department is under constitutional mandate to serve warrants and, Wigington said, that takes a lot of time away from patrol deputies who should be available at a moments notice to answer emergency calls. He said he would hire people whose sole job would be serving warrants, freeing up patrol deputies and speeding up the process for the courts.
“Pickens County has a lot invested in me, and I have a lot invested in it. I chose a career in Pickens County, because I want Pickens County to be the very best it can be. I am committed to being a public servant.”The sheriff candidates spoke as part of the regular Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting.
Look for links to the candidates websites on our political directory. www.pickensprogress.com
