Meet the candidates running for Dorchester County Sheriff

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) — Voters in Dorchester County will elect a new sheriff in November, marking the first change in leadership at the agency in over a decade.

The race is between Democrat Charles T. Frederick III and Republican Sam Richardson.

Both are vying to replace outgoing Sheriff L.C. Knight, who opted not to run for reelection. He was first elected to lead the sheriff’s office in 2009.

The winner of the election will serve a four-year term.

Meet the candidates:

Editor’s Note: Each candidate was sent the same questionnaire. Their responses have not been edited.

Charles T. Frederick III

Q: Why do you want to be Dorchester County Sheriff?

I believe that you must be the change you want to see. I am that change. It is time for a Sheriff who serves the needs of the people. The role of Sheriff is not a self-serving position but one that considers the needs of the community and provides unbiased protection and equality for all citizens of Dorchester County. I have served on the Federal level as a United States Marine, State level as a former Highway Patrolman and former captain at the Dorchester County Sheriff’s office. To be a great leader, you must know how to serve. I have been a public servant for most of my life. I have 38 years of experience in law enforcement. As our county is growing, expanding, and becoming more diversified, I am the best candidate to serve the needs of the citizens of Dorchester County.

Q: What do you see as the number one issue within the sheriff’s office and how would you change it?

Organizational Changes. The Sheriff’s department can change their managerial structure to be more transparent, improve training and adjust how officers are deployed. This would include examining shift schedules. Examining shift schedules would promote maximum, wellness, and work-life balance. Research has shown how police shift schedules impact officer safety and well-being.

Q: What would your top three priorities be if elected to office?

Public Safety, Community Engagement and Transparency would be my top three priorities once elected to office.

Providing community members with information on how to prevent crime by improving public safety through programs such as neighborhood watch. Prioritizing diversity and creating a culture of equity and inclusion will help to build positive relationships with the community and law enforcement to solve problems by working together.

Q: The population in Dorchester County is growing rapidly. What is your plan to recruit and retain deputies and jail personnel to ensure the safety of all residents?

I would streamline the hiring process by examining the use of technology in the recruitment and hiring process. Additionally, eligibility requirements should be aligned with the needs of the community and departments should consider the importance of identifying candidates with non-traditional skills. Seeking to identify candidates with interpersonal skills such as conflict resolution, mediation, and de-escalation has been linked to fewer cases of excessive force and improved relations within the community. Academy training is essential to new recruits however there needs to be more focus on field training. For example, each trainee should be assigned a mentor once an offer of employment has been accepted. This would also require careful and regular evaluation of field training officers. Benefits and incentives play a key role in retaining existing employees as well as attracting new recruits. Recruitment campaigns should underscore the opportunity that policing offers to join a noble profession that has a real impact on the community and serves a higher purpose.

Q: As sheriff, you would be responsible for overseeing the agency’s multi-million dollar annual budget. What experience do you have managing a large budget and how do you plan to allocate resources?

I have built a construction company from the ground up. When you build a business you are tasked with finding clients and projects. You have to create a budget to maintain payroll, supplies, and day-to-day operations. You are in charge of hiring, promoting and ultimately firing employees. I have over 30 years of experience operating a million-dollar operation. The only difference as opposed to running your own business, County Council will give you the Budget and you have to maintain it. When you own your own company it’s a little more difficult than that.

Q: What is your community-policing strategy?

Active engagement of officers with the community they serve in order to build trust, identify and address public safety concerns is one area of my strategy. Partnership with community organizations such as schools, churches and social service organizations to discuss issues related to crime, youth, and community wellbeing. Next, I would establish Community meetings where officers meet regularly with community members to discuss local issues and identify solutions. Problem-solving and crime prevention are vital. Officers collaborating with the community to identify and address the root causes of crime in specific areas rather than responding to incidents after they occur is proactive.   Implementation of citizen advisory committees that meet regularly to discuss public safety concerns is another part of my community-policing strategy.  By involving the community in these decision-making processes DCSO can show commitment to collaborating with residents to keep their communities safe. Active engagement is critical to problem-oriented policing and community outreach. Officers can spend time getting to know the people in their community by attending community events and building relationships with local business owners. Programs that connect the police and the community are particularly important to gaining the trust of citizens and reclaiming the respect and integrity of the officers who serve and protect our county.

Campaign Website: https://charlesfrederickforsheriffdorchestercounty.com/

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Sam Richardson

Q: Why do you want to be Dorchester County Sheriff?

A sheriff can only be as effective as their relationship with the community. I am the most qualified person with the best vision to improve that relationship. I have spent the last 16 years as Sheriff LC Knight’s chief deputy. I am a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve. And, I have more than 30 continuous years of law enforcement experience in Dorchester County.

Q: What do you see as the number one issue within the sheriff’s office and how would you change it?

We need more manpower on the streets. I would change this by reorganizing the administration to ensure we’re putting more resources into patrol deputies, who can be in neighborhoods and not sitting behind a desk.

Q: What would your top three priorities be if elected to office?

The first is the aforementioned deputies on the streets. Secondly, it’s to build a better community engagement program and we’ll do that in multiple ways, including creating a community input group, reinstituting the cadet program, and other activities to ensure we’re building a better relationship with the community.

Q: The population in Dorchester County is growing rapidly. What is your plan to recruit and retain deputies and jail personnel to ensure the safety of all residents?

We need to ensure we have the resources needed as the county grows to hire and retain deputies. I have the endorsement of all seven County Council members. This is important to ensure we have a sheriff who can get along with County Council and be honest about the resources needed to keep our county safe in budget negotiations.

Q: As sheriff, you would be responsible for overseeing the agency’s multi-million dollar annual budget. What experience do you have managing a large budget and how do you plan to allocate resources?

I’m currently the sheriff’s chief deputy. And while I make recommendations and give the sheriff advice, he makes the call, but I’m responsible for administering those decisions. The experience I have is to know where the money is being spent and how to more efficiently and effectively allocate it as sheriff.

Q: What is your community-policing strategy?

We need community policing that is assisted by technology. Technology today can provide the resources to predict where we need to deploy resources to be more effective in community policing. This with the aforementioned more deputies on patrol and a better community engagement program are the keys to the community policing strategy.

Campaign website: https://samrichardsonforsheriff.com/

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The election will be held on Nov. 5, 2024.

Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 27, and ends on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.