2010 Accomplishments and Future Goals

The State of North Carolina Constitution sets out the duties and responsibilities for North Carolina Sheriffs. As the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in the county the duties of the Sheriff are: enforcing all local, state and federal laws, maintaining the security and safety of court system, operation of the county detention facility, collection and disbursement of all civil judgments, transportation of all mentally ill persons to and from mental institutions, criminal enforcement and investigations of crimes committed in this jurisdiction. In addition the Sheriff’s Office recently acquired the responsibility of the law enforcement of Animal Control in Lee County in an effort to better serve our citizens. All handgun permits and Concealed Carry Handgun permits are issued by the Sheriff’s Office.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has accomplished many milestones over the past four years with the commitment to providing strong community relations and the best level of service and care to our citizens. With an ever increasing demand on our resources, the Sheriff’s Office has learned to explore ways to increase the county’s strength in revenues. The department has managed over $1.2 million dollars in grant funding and seized over $400,000 in federal and state drug asset forfeiture money to help strengthen our agency. The department has seized more than 18 million dollars in narcotics over the past four years and currently has a member of the NC State Bureau of Investigation assigned to our office. Four of our drug agents are sworn as federal ICE agents and one with ATF.

The Sheriff’s Office managed over 16,345 calls for service in 2010, up from an average of 13,753 in 2009, 12,722 in 2008, 11,522 in 2007, and 10,681 in 2006. This number is expected to increase even more due to the addition of animal control enforcement. The department’s Uniform Crime Report Analysis continues to show improvement in the county’s crime rate. The department contributes to the increased effects of community policing, increased staffing, outreach programs like Sheriff’s Rising Stars Program for teens in the summer, National Night Out Events, active community watch groups, and increased visibilities of patrol deputies and better use of technology for patrol deputies.

The department is researching and plans to pursue accreditation with CALEA over the next few years. Only four sheriff’s offices in the State of North Carolina have accreditation which is recognized as a means of maintaining the highest standards of professionalism in an organization.