War on drugs, deputy pay among priorities for Campbell sheriff’s race – Lynchburg News and Advance

With November elections less than two weeks away, the three candidates in the Campbell County sheriffs race each are hoping to replace retiring Sheriff Steve Hutcherson. Hutcherson announced in January he would not seek reelection after two terms as sheriff.

Among the candidates is Campbell County sheriffs office Captain Dwayne Wade, who has 25 years of service in the sheriffs office. Currently overseeing the field division, Wade said one of his strengths is his experience throughout the entire department serving as deputy, investigator, with the narcotics division and as captain over various departments.

He said he has a understanding of the inner workings of the sheriffs seat, from day-to-day operations to finance and budgeting.

Wade cited the drug epidemic as one of the biggest issues in the county. In order to combat drug trade, he said the office has to be proactive rather than reactive. Having worked narcotics for about 10 years on federal and state levels, Wade said they need to combat the issue on every level and be aware of the severity of the consequences it has in the community.

Other priorities include retaining officers through adequate salaries. A high turnover rate of deputies in Campbell County often is attributed to salaries that are not competitive with positions at other law enforcement agencies in the area.

The average starting pay for a new deputy without any previous experience in the Lynchburg area is about $34,000. In comparison, new troopers with the Virginia State Police make an annual salary of about $44,000 and new Lynchburg police officers make nearly $38,000.

Wade also hopes to continue enforcing safety in Campbell County schools.

This is my home; this is where my family has been my whole life, Wade said. Ive dedicated my life and career here.

Sgt. Terry Cook, a Campbell County Sheriffs deputy, also is running for the open seat. With 30 years of experience at the office, Cook also said he worked his way through the ranks, and is deeply connected with the Campbell County community.

Like Wade, he listed his primary priority as targeting drugs in the county, both through working closely with other agencies in Central Virginia and getting the department more deeply involved throughout the community.

He also prioritized deputy pay, keeping school resource officers in Campbell schools and addressing mental health issues in the county through continued work in programs like Project Lifesaver a rapid response program aiding victims of Alzheimers Disease and similar disorders.

My motto is being fair to the employees and fair to the public, Cook said. I want a more progressive department that gets out there in the community.

The third candidate is Whit Clark III, a retired Lynchburg police officer and current investigator with the Campbell County Sheriffs Office. He retired from the Lynchburg Police Department as a captain after 32 years and has worked with the Campbell Sheriffs Office for four years. With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Clark said he has worked in almost every facet of law enforcement.

He also listed addressing drug problems in the county and all across Central Virginia as a priority, and said he would continue to enforce present efforts to combat the problem, maintain relationships and partnerships with other jurisdictions and bring a K-9 program back to the department. The dogs would serve a dual purpose, said Clark both to track narcotics and to locate lost persons.

Other priorities include maintaining partnerships with the schools and increasing community engagement. By enhancing community policing, Clark said they could improve relationships with churches and businesses, and offer programming on things such as fraud prevention and personal safety to maintain a constant presence.

Clark also hopes to create a community advisory board with representatives from across the county in order to meet and listen to citizens.

If were doing all the talking, we arent learning anything, Clark said.

He also named deputy pay raises as a focal point of his campaign, but said retention was about more than salaries.

Do the deputies feel valued? Do the deputies feel like they have a voice? Are they being listened to? Clark said. When you talk about retention, you have to look at the global picture.

Sarah Honosky covers Appomattox and Campbell counties at The News & Advance. Reach her at (434) 385-5556.

Sarah Honosky covers Appomattox and Campbell counties at The News & Advance. Reach her at (434) 385-5556.

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War on drugs, deputy pay among priorities for Campbell sheriff's race - Lynchburg News and Advance