Darlington County Sheriff’s candidates

Darlington County Sheriff’s candidates
Published: June 6, 2008

The Democratic Primary for Darlington County Sheriff is an interesting race this year.

Since there are no Republican candidates, the candidate that wins the Democratic nomination will be elected sheriff in November. This will be the only vote for sheriff.

Darlington Police Captain Wayne Byrd, Darlington County Chief Deputy Tom Gainey and Lamar Police Chief Charles Woodle are Darlington’s three Democratic candidates.

Byrd is seeking nomination on a platform of change. Byrd believes the sheriff’s office must be more active in the community and work more with other departments to deal with the county’s major problems.

Woodle is running under a similar platform. He believes there must be change from the current status quo as well. He believes the top priority is change and reorganization in the sheriff’s office. “We’ve got to bring the city and the county agencies back together as one,” he said. He says police departments of Lamar, Darlington and Society Hill work together on a regular basis, but the current sheriff’s office does not work with local agencies. Woodle said he has served in every area of the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office including patrol and narcotics.

Gainey’s platform is one of experience. “Our campaign has been very forthcoming. We tried to keep it positive and look at the issues that face the people. What has been done and what needs to be done,” he said. He also emphasized that Sheriff [Glen] Campbell’s tenure has not reflected what his service would put forth. “Sheriff Campbell has been sheriff.”

Drugs in Darlington County is an issue that each candidate listed as a preeminent issue. Gang activity was also mentioned by all three candidates.
Gainey said the county must continue to combat drugs. He also said the county must create a gang intelligence unit.

Gainey also would like to increase the office’s training program, including agencies that offer free training. The office must continue to work with local, state and federal agencies, he said.

Byrd said the gang problem must be faced in a collaborative effort involving all agencies. He said the sheriff’s office must work with churches, school and other agencies to keep youth out of gangs. He also said the gang provides a sense of purpose for many children, and the community must react together in order to fill that void.

Woodle’s response was to tackle the gang problems and drug problems in a collaborative effort and attack it with vigor.

Woodle listed his first priority as sheriff is to reorganize personnel structure. “We have got to put the right people in the right places.”

All three candidates did agree on one thing – the location of the new courthouse. All three men said they would like the courthouse to be located close to the prison so transport would be safer and easier on the sheriff’s office.

The candidates said they would do the job well regardless of the location, but they preferred it being close to the prison.

Woodle and Byrd say their comments on communication come from their experience with the current sheriff’s office. Both men say the upper management of the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office were hard to work with in the Darlington County Combined Drug Unit, which was a multi-agency unit intended to combat narcotics in the county.

“There were some problems with the way the task force was being run,” Byrd said. “Those problems were brought to [Gainey’s] attention.” Byrd said the unit was not properly supervised.

Woodle’s response was the same. “There were issues between upper management.” Both Woodle and Byrd said the sheriff’s office essentially said, “If we’re going to do this, we will do it our way.”

Darlington Police Chief Jay Cox said the same of the issue. The decision of Darlington Police leaving the task force was his directive, and he cites Gainey’s inability to work with other agencies as the problem. Cox also said Gainey knew of the decision to leave.

Gainey maintains his office was and is open to work with any group. “The city of Darlington pulled out,” he said. “Up to this point in time, they never told us [why].” He said Hartsville withdrew because of manpower issues. “Since then, we have worked with every agency in the county in some form or fashion on narcotics.” Gainey said the sheriff’s office has been and is open to work with everyone. “Politics does not play a part in police work. There has been an effort to perpetuate it, but the sheriff can’t make agencies participate.”

Gainey also said the sheriff’s office has been successful after the unit disbanded. They have made many arrests, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office has the most active drug unit per capita, according to Gainey.

All three men are vying for the Democratic nomination for Darlington County Sheriff in the election on Tuesday, June 10.
The Democratic nominee will serve Darlington County as the next sheriff.