Keith Howard says he’s running for Bulloch County Sheriff to give voters a choice.
Relying on his experience, Howard says he is qualified to be Bulloch County’s top law enforcement officer because he worked as a Trooper with Georgia State Patrol and as Chief Deputy in Jenkins County. The combination of those two jobs along with his tenure working on aggressive highway interdiction, his background in agriculture, and his strong work ethic, Howard thinks he has a well-rounded vision for a community-oriented Sheriff’s Office.
On The Issues
Reserve Deputies
Howard said he would like to institute reserve deputies on a volunteer basis to assist with things like the Kiwanis Fair, critical events such as storms or searches for lost individuals, and even funeral escorts.
“There are plenty of retired military and law enforcement in our area,” he said, noting that they wouldn’t necessarily have to be POST-certified. The program would allow for uniformed individuals with access to a vehicle when needed, but no arrest powers. He said he believes it would cut down significantly on overtime costs incurred by the agency every year.
The Jail
Howard doesn’t believe federal inmates will return under the current administration because of how the previous cessation of housing those types of inmates was handled.
Howard conceded that, in terms of space at the jail, Brown inherited a problem that was in need of expansion and renovations before he took office. But he says the breakdown in a deal between Brown and the county commissioners a few years ago means the work now will be more expensive – in materials and labor.
“This should have been taken care of already,” he said. “We’re paying thousands of dollars to other agencies to house inmates elsewhere.
Employee Retention & Recruitment
Howard said both the cities and the county continue to approve subdivisions without consideration of the need for more employees at the Sheriff’s Office.
“We’re not going to be able to recruit people at the pay level we’re at. We’re going to have to step up the pay to get people in here and retain them and he’s [Brown] lost more employees than any other sitting sheriff has ever lost. I think the first couple years, he lost 20-25 people and that’s a tell tale right there for Couch and the Commissioners. Something ain’t right.”
Howard continued on regarding retention, “You’ve got a fifteen, twenty-year employee who you’ve got all this money invested in and he comes in and tells you he’s leaving for the Ports and you shake his hand and tell him ‘good luck,’ that’s not the way to do it. You sit him down and try to explain what you can offer. You try to make them see that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”
He also said he wants to focus on employee recognition and praise within the office. “People need recognition because they catch enough negativity from everything else out there.”
Crime Suppression Team & Specialized Units
Howard says the current administration disbanded the Crime Suppression Team after Brown took office in 2017 and only recently decided that ‘it had to come back.’
He said the team has too few people on it but is operating on a budget from the days of Sheriff Lynn Anderson. “I don’t understand why we have the budget we do when there aren’t people working Crime Suppression,” Howard said, stating that Bulloch County once had a reputation for being tough on drugs, leaving dopers to go to other counties, but that reputation is no more. Howard also mentioned he supports decriminalizing marijuana in cases of simple possession, issuing a citation instead of keeping those individuals in jail and using up man hours.
When asked if Brown is ‘tough on crime,’ Howard said he is not. “He’s got deputies out there gnawing at the bits to do drug interdiction and he’s holding the bridle back. You’ve got to be proactive – just look at the spin-offs of dope: that’s where you get your burglaries, car break-ins, petty thefts.” Howard said he also pledges not to call off searches if an individual is known to still be in the area as was the case with Lee Allen Mayhew.
To that end, Howard said the Sheriff’s Office is lacking any type of targeting for human trafficking or internet crimes against children and he would like to see resources redirected. He’d also like to see the Sheriff’s Office partner on more task forces with federal agencies in an effort to share resources and frequently conduct active shooter trainings.
Funding
The issue of funding arose, stemming from Brown’s speech at a county commission meeting last fall during millage rate hearings. Howard said he takes issue with the Sheriff advocating for a tax increase because it isn’t his job. “He’s supposed to be saving money.”
Instead, Howard said he desires to seek out more grants and work with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “The money is out there just for participating, you just have to go ask for it.”
Additionally, Howard said the State Patrol can’t handle everything that’s happening on roadways as a result of the Hyundai and subsequent development.
“Traffic is going to be a nightmare and you’re going to have to be visible to be seen as proactive – whether you’re right tickets or not,” he said. He referenced the Traffic Unit within the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, which he says has a presence in the county.
Dialogue with the Community
Howard says he has a well-rounded vision for keeping the community safe, which includes communication with the citizens and transparency.
“I’ll have Meet & Greets, town halls, all out in the community and I’ll bring deputies to hear the complaints and hear the thank yous. You’ve got to communicate with the public and be transparent with your numbers.We’ve got K9 officers and we never see what they’re doing, how many there are, the statistics. There’s never any recognition or discussion. It shouldn’t be such a secret.”
He said the Georgia Sheriff’s Association, for which his opponent is an officer, does great work but that he has no desire to serve on the board. “When you’re doing GSA stuff, you’re away from your employees and your community, traveling all over the state. I think it says your priorities are for self and not for all people.”
A Citizens Academy and a Ride Along Program are both initiatives Howard wants to implement to give the community more insight into how the office works.
Discourse & Debate with His Opponent
In 2016, Howard ran as a Democrat, a decision he says he made because in an effort to get all of the voters in Bulloch County to decide who would be their Sheriff, not just those in the Republican primary. He doesn’t believe the office should be partisan at all and considered running as an Independent back in 2016, but the thresholds for signatures to get on the ballot make it difficult. Both of those matters, however, are issues for the Georgia legislature.
This year, Howard says he is hoping for a debate between him and Brown, but he’ll be working the campaign trail until Election Day regardless.
“Look what’s transpired in the [Sheriff’s] office since I came out and said that I was going to run and give people a choice,” he said. “Some people have said it’s mudslinging because of what I’m out here saying. But I’m fact slinging. I admire what he did in the Air Force and what he’s done for our county, but it’s time for him to go home and spend time with his family.”
Howard will be on the Republican Ballot on May 21. Early voting begins April 29.
