Cedric Herring, candidate for Wake County Sheriff
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Candidates for Wake County Sheriff
Candidates in the race for Wake County sheriff include the incumbent, Democrat Gerald Baker; Democratic challengers Joe Coley, Cedric Herring, Tommy Matthews, Willie Rowe, Roy Taylor and Randolph Baity; and Republicans Donnie Harrison, Tivon Howard and David Blackwelder. Get to know the candidates in our 2022 Voter Guide.
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Name: Cedric L. Herring
Age: 52
Political party: Democrat
Campaign website: www.votecedricherring.com
Occupation and employer: Retired Sergeant, NC State Highway Patrol
Education: Criminal Justice, Associates Degree
Have you run for elected office before? No.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: United States Army, served in combat, Operation Desert Storm; Bronze Star Recipient; Retired Sergeant, NC State Highway Patrol; Investigator/Recruiter, Wake County Sheriff’s Office; Cary Police Officer; Goldsboro Police Officer
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Friends and family
What are three things you want to accomplish in the next year, and how do you plan to accomplish them?
The most important issue is staffing and the safety of the citizens of Wake County. I worked as a recruiter, in the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, hiring deputies and detention officers. I recruited over 80 deputies and 150 detention officers who were hired. This was within a 24-month time frame. The issue is not recruitment, it is retention.
I would solve this issue by developing a disciplinary procedure, promotional process, creating a retiree part-time hiring program, and lateral transfers across the agency. I would streamline the recruitment process to be more efficient. With these issues being addressed we will increase the staffing shortage by putting more patrol deputies in the communities and detention officers in the detention centers to make a safer Wake County for the citizens and employees.
What about your experience makes you the best person to be Wake County’s next sheriff?
My thinking was shaped at the young age of 19. I served in the U.S. Army, I served in the Gulf War, and Operation Desert Storm. I believe this is the highest level of service an individual can offer as a public servant. During the war, my tank broke down, and my squad of five men was stranded in Kuwait. We became dependent on each other to live. I understood when I was in combat; I looked at my commitment to this country and realized it was a life or possible death commitment. I realized what responsibility was when someone else needed to sleep, and your duty was to watch over them while they slept. I learned what it took to be in a difficult situation, how to work through it, and never give up. I understood that everyone must carry their load and do their part to contribute where you could effect change. It was engraved in my behavior to protect those who needed help.
What does the current administration do well? In what areas does the Sheriff’s Office need to improve?
Law enforcement, more specifically the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, plays a pivotal role in providing the safety, service and protection to all who reside, visit, or are just traveling through our community. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office should seek to become an accredited agency by using standardized guidelines to help govern policies and procedures.
How will you attract and retain deputies?
Out of all the candidates, other than the incumbent, I am the most recent employee of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. I was employed there up until February 2022. I am aware of the issues that must be addressed immediately. The most important issue is staffing and the safety of the citizens of Wake County. I worked as a recruiter hiring deputies and detention officers. I used unconventional ways to recruit applicants. I went into stores, restaurants, gyms, colleges, universities, and career fairs. When applicants were not able to pass the physical fitness test, I met with them after hours to help them with a workout program to increase their physical fitness.
Do you support the use of no-knock raids? Why or why not?
I do support no-knock raid when it is in the best interest of safety for the community and the officers.
Do you support the use of body-worn cameras for deputies?
I do support the use of body cameras. I feel it is in line with an agency being completely transparent where the public trust can and must be established.
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 the release of body-camera footage if ordered by a court or after the investigation is complete. I do not support redacting the footage in any way.
What is your definition of transparency, and how do you plan to apply that to your office?
To be honest and open with any information that does not infringe on the justice process. Wake County needs a sheriff who is a leader for everyone, a leader who supports and understands inclusiveness and who will encourage everyone’s input. Wake County needs a sheriff who does not oppose crossing lines to build relationships. Wake County needs a sheriff with the knowledge and background to address issues and the confidence and courage to stand up for everyone. I am the sheriff ready to rebuild this office and unite the agency with spirit, life, and hope for a revitalized future. Communication is key and we will utilize all social media outlets as well as in-person meetings to network. I bring integrity and true accountability so that we can ensure Wake County, our state’s capital county, offers a safe experience for all who visit and live here.
What role does the Sheriff’s Office play in stemming violent crime, and how do you plan to approach that role?
The role of law enforcement in our community is to provide a service by demonstrating a higher level of integrity that gives its citizens the safety and protection necessary to live in a civilized society. We do this by effective communication with diverse cultures to be a deterring presence for wrongdoing and a comforting presence for law-abiding citizens. To cite for clear-cut and substantial violations as a way to change unlawful behavior. We must do more good than harm. Law enforcement must be more knowledgeable in identifying and resolving encounters by using the minimum amount of force necessary to defuse a situation involving violent crimes. I will take a common-sense approach to being proactive and not reactive in our communities by having visible patrol, frequent contact with citizens, invest in a community-based prevention and intervention program, set strategic enforcement priorities, and start a violent crime unit.
How will you ensure that people of color and people who are poor are treated fairly?
Equality and law enforcement in America has a long, difficult relationship. Passed by the Senate on June 8, 1866, and ratified two years later, on July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people, and provided all citizens with “equal protection under the laws,” extending the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states.
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was an instrumental force in leading the public mobilization efforts in favor of civil rights legislation. Today, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 remains one of the most significant legislative achievements in American history.
It is now 2022 and citizens of this county still seek these rights. Simply put, they are asking for the same level of respect from police agencies as they are expected to give. Nothing more. They are asking for agencies not to practice discriminatory behavior and to have equal protection under the law.
Although our allies in Washington, D.C., have given us the expectation of rights in this county, they are not here to ensure those rights are guaranteed to each citizen of Wake County. It is well past time for us to stop waiting for solutions from persons who don’t live or work in our communities. We do not need more legislation to be passed. We need elected sheriffs willing and able to lead this nation on the front lines — where police reform has to take place. We must look to our law enforcement leaders for this overdue reckoning and to hold them accountable for the actions of our members.
If elected, will you honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers? Participate in the 287 (g) program?
No, I will not support the 287 (g) program. I will support any detainer issued by a judicial official and court order.
How do you plan to prevent deputies from using excessive force? How will your office handle cases involving excessive use of force?
The role of law enforcement in our community is to provide a service by demonstrating a higher level of integrity that gives its citizens the safety and protection necessary to live in a civilized society. We do this by effective communication with diverse cultures to be a deterring presence for wrongdoing and a comforting presence for law-abiding citizens. To cite for clear-cut and substantial violations as a way to change unlawful behavior. We must do more good than harm, to be a role model, to care for the mentally ill. Law enforcement must be more knowledgeable in identifying and resolving encounters by using the minimum amount of force necessary to defuse a situation involving mental health and addictive behaviors. This must be done through education and training. We must hold ourselves accountable.
Do you support an independent review board? Under your administration, what would that board look like?
I do not support an independent review board. I do support my agency being investigated by an outside agency such as the State Bureau of Investigation.
This story was originally published April 23, 2022 at 2:09 PM.
