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BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.—On Wednesday, the local chapter of the National Action Network hosted a forum featuring several candidates running for Berkeley County sheriff.
The event was held inside Berkeley County council chambers in Moncks Corner. Approximately 50 people attended the forum.
There, they heard from Democratic candidate Anthony Smalls and two write-in candidates—former S.C. Highway Patrol trooper Derrick Burbage and former Hanahan Police Chief Melvin “M.C.” Bellew.
Noticeably absent from the event was Republican candidate Duane Lewis. However, in a tweet sent to ABC News 4’s Lara Rolo, Lewis’ camp stated that they didn’t find out about the forum until Monday and already had prior campaign commitments.
On June 9th, voters will head to the polls to cast their ballots for the county’s first sheriff in approximately twenty years.
The upcoming general election comes after the resignation of longtime sheriff Wayne DeWitt. DeWitt was arrested in late-December for DUI and fleeing from police. In February 2015, he resigned from office. A grand jury indicted him on the charges shortly after.
During the forum, Berkeley Co. citizens were given the chance to ask the candidates questions directly—including what changes they would make if elected sheriff.
“The sheriff’s office needs more manpower,” Smalls stated.
Smalls is a 26 year veteran of law enforcement and currently a sergeant at the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.
“I don’t believe in serving buddies or friends, I believe in accountability and integrity for the office,” Smalls added.
Since announcing his candidacy several months ago, he’s maintained a low profile.
“I just want to apologize to all of the people that haven’t seen my face. I ran a low-budget campaign,” he told WCBD-TV’s Matt Alba. “Most of what I’ve spent so far came out of my pocket, so I couldn’t get around to all of the neighborhoods that I needed to.”
After falling short of the signatures required for a petition bid in April, Burbage is hoping to become the county’s next sheriff via a write-in. During the forum, he stated that he was running on a campaign of “fiscal responsibility.”
“The most important duty of being sheriff is leading by example and with integrity,” Burbage stated.
During the debate, Bellew stated that he commanded as many as 150 people at once and hopes to “honestly and openly serve the people of Berkeley County.”
The former Hanahan Police Chief added that managing the deputies was one of the most important duties of sheriff.
Although there are two veteran law enforcement officers campaigning as write-in candidates—a large group called the ‘Concerned Voters of Berkeley County’ has also been aggressively campaigning for Brian Adams as a write-in.
They’ve even recently created a website called writeinbrianadams.com.
Adams first entered the spotlight in early 2014 when he actively campaigned against DeWitt. He lost to DeWitt during the primary receiving a little over 35 percent of the votes.
During this year’s 2015 Republican primary for sheriff, Adams received the most votes out of all the candidates; however, lost to Lewis during last month’s runoff.
Since the controversy surrounding Lewis’ college degree has surfaced, Adams has since taken back his endorsement for Lewis.
“This is nothing more than a political stunt by a twice-defeated and disgruntled candidate who reportedly attempted to illegally bribe former opponents for their support,” Lewis stated after the move by Adams.
Prior Stories:
- Sheriff Candidate’s Degree Creates Bigger Divide Among Berkeley Co. Republicans
- Derrick Burbage Announces Plans To Run As A Write-In Candidate For Berkeley Co. Sheriff
- Former Hanahan Police Chief Announces Write-In Candidacy For Berkeley Co. Sheriff
- Duane Lewis Defeats Brian Adams In Runoff For Berkeley County Sheriff
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