Paul Martin, candidate for Durham County Sheriff
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Candidates for Durham County Sheriff
The candidates for Durham County sheriff in the Democratic primary are Clarence Birkhead, the incumbent, and Paul Martin. No Republican is running. Get to know the candidates with our 2022 Voter Guide.
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Name: Paul Martin
Age: 71
Political party: Democrat
Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/VoteforPaulMartinforDurhamCountySheriff/
Occupation and employer: retired
Education: Attended Duke; BS in criminal justice, Guilford College.
Have you run for elected office before? I ran for sheriff as a write-in candidate in 2018 following Mike Andrews’ loss in the primary. I did not expect to win. It was my intention to warn the citizens of the impending increase in violence.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Helped create and implement the Partnership Against Crime initiative during the early 1990s. Set up GED program on the West End during crime wave. Spoke numerous times to City Council, County Commissioners and multiple community groups during the past 40 years in efforts to decrease crime through various socioeconomic and crime reduction efforts.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? I have received no contributions.
What are three things you want to accomplish in the next year, and how do you plan to accomplish them?
▪ Fill at least 75% of vacancies in detention center and among deputies. A number of personnel confided to me that they would return if there were a change in leadership.
▪ Reactivate Reserve Program and Inactive Reserve Program and use reserve personnel and retired personnel to work on a part-time basis. Some retired personnel have confided that they would come out of retirement and work full time again pending a change in leadership.
▪ Initiate a proactive drug enforcement team based upon the SACNARC unit to investigate and reduce drug sales and felons in possession of firearms. Utilize federal drug asset forfeiture funds to finance this effort and for overtime pay in order to increase number of deputies involved in this effort.
What about your experience makes you the best person to be sheriff?
I worked a total of 35 years in the Durham Police Department and the Durham Sheriff’s Office in a number of positions including high level positions. Worked as undercover drug operative in both organizations. And then supervised drug units in both organizations. At the time, mid-90s, the drug unit with the police was the largest in the state. I have also supervised and/or worked on at least 100 homicides in the city and county. I have worked undercover with the ATF and also been sworn in as a U.S. Deputy Marshal. I have worked on an SBI task force that investigated and monitored the Ku Klux Klan and other national supremacist groups.
I have also worked on Organized Retail Theft Rings with the FBI and the National Automotive Theft Board. From 2008 until 2018 I supervised more than half the sheriffs’ law enforcement and all civil functions.
From 2005 until 2018, I was responsible for supervising all major investigations in the jail, including all deaths and suicides..
What does the current administration do well? In what areas does the Sheriff’s Office need to improve?
Although some deputies perform well, the Sheriff’s Office is being destroyed by corruption and cronyism. Deputies who speak out about this are punished and forced to leave. Unqualified persons are hired and placed in positions that did not previously exist at great cost to the taxpayers. People who engaged in criminal activity are hired and placed in high level positions. Criminal associations by high-level employees are hidden and denied.
How will you attract and retain deputies?
Stop the corruption and treat employees humanely. Place people in leadership who are ethical and who are not inclined to criminal activity and misbehavior.
What role does the Sheriff’s Office play in stemming violent crime, and how do you plan to approach that role?
See the third section of the answer to the three things I wish to accomplish in the first year. I am also considering establishing programs that start in the jail related to job training and that continue once the detainee is released from jail.
Do you support the use of no-knock raids? Why or why not?
I have been involved with more than a thousands of raids. Fewer than five were no-knock. Just suppose you encountered the following circumstance: A convicted murderer gets out of prison and forcibly moves in with a group of relatives, including his disabled grandma. He sells drugs and very violently assaults his relatives. Everyone is scared. We were contacted, and developed probable cause for a drug search warrant. We learned he slept deeply at certain times. He was always heavily armed. We were informed he was asleep. We obtained a no-knock search warrant , entered the residence without incident. Everyone was safe.
So I favor a no-knock search warrant under rare circumstances where lives are in danger.
Do you support the use of body-worn cameras for deputies?
Yes.
Under what circumstances and timelines do you support the release of body-camera footage? For example, do you support video release when requested? Only for serious or fatal incidents? Within 48 hours of the incident or only after the investigation is complete?
I support release within 48 hours for all incidents unless the release could hinder the investigation or endanger a witness. The release should be as soon as possible.
What is your definition of transparency, and how do you plan to apply that to your office?
Tell the truth. Keep the public informed through strong communication channels and if you can’t release information then explain why. Do not protect employees involved in wrongdoing. Meet with the people.
How will you ensure that people of color and people who are poor are treated fairly?
Proper training and supervision. Training in the academy as well as in-service training should involve inviting people of color as well as the poor to engage in conversation during training sessions about their life experiences as well as their feelings and beliefs toward encounters with law enforcement.
Then this interaction should be followed with at least six hours of academics by a psychologist who also discusses the relation of stress to fair treatment. This training should be conducted annually.
How do you plan to prevent deputies from using excessive force? How will your office handle cases involving excessive use of force?
Training and proper supervision backed by written policies and procedures is the answer. There will be a comprehensive investigation of all excessive force complaints. Use of force policies have been in place for years as the Sheriff’s Office was nationally accredited years ago.
Proper psychological analysis should be done of newly hired deputies. Insecure people who were bullied as youngsters are more likely to use excessive force. We must ensure that this internal conflict has been resolved in the mind of the newly hired deputy or detention officer. Everyone must understand that excessive force will not be tolerated. Also there must be semi-annual briefings at the beginning of shifts by a psychologist concerning ways to recognize and handle stress. We started this for detention officers in 2016.
If elected, will you honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers? Participate in the 287 (g) program?
I will honor ICE detainers. In 2019 the refusal to honor a detainer led to the brutal murder of a young woman in Durham whose body was dumped in Chatham County. Had the ICE detainer been honored this young lady would still be with her family. I will not endanger the people of Durham. What if your daughter was murdered under these circumstances ? Have you ever witnessed an autopsy?
I will not participate in 287(g). Deputies should not act as ICE agents as this is too harmful to local law enforcement relationships with the public.
Do you support an independent review board? Under your administration, what would that board look like?
I support an independent advisory board . All members of the board would be required to work in the jail for 40 hours and ride with narcotics detectives, sex offender registry deputies, and patrol deputies for a total of 40 hours prior to appointment to the board. They would also be required to fire a weapon at the range and take part in use-of-force training for three hours.
