Open letter from Matt Smoak (candidate for Berkeley Co. Sheriff):
This year provides a pivotal opportunity for the residents of Berkeley County to make necessary changes in
leadership. On June 10, Berkeley County will have a primary election to select the final candidates for the November election. There are many current and challengers for many different seats within Berkeley County, including the Sheriff’s position. My name is Matt Smoak, and I am running for the position of Berkeley County Sheriff.
Here in Berkeley County, many of us have been dealing with the same frustrations: the lack of officers responding to calls and the feeling that no call for service is important. Many excuses are typically given, such as, “The Sheriff’s Office doesn’t have enough man-power,” or “We will get to it when we can,” (which then turns in to never).
I plan on implementing from the start a better community/sheriff’s office relationship. I understand how difficult this will be because for many years the community has felt that the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t care what is happening. That. Will. Stop. Community Oriented Policing, or (COPs), will help rebuild the “trust bridge” between the community and the Sheriff’s Office.
I want deputies to be interacting daily with their surrounding neighborhoods, finding out what issues each neighborhood is struggling with and how the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office can help alleviate those issues. I’ve had some concerned citizens mention that many of the supervisory officers are advising their subordinates to “not do anything” to “not be proactive”. Laziness, is NOT in my blood. If elected, I will bring back accountability to the department.
Most of the neighborhoods I’ve spoken with and visited shared the same issue – the utter lack of traffic enforcement. I’ve heard everything from, “The speeders are rampant in this neighborhood” to “People are running stop signs.” I will, from the start, encourage deputies to be more cognizant of the violators around them and start enforcing traffic laws. I will also relieve the SC Highway Patrol from working all collisions in Berkeley County, including fatalities. These efforts will do so much more for our county besides reduce collisions and reduce other traffic issues within the county. By conducting traffic enforcement and working collisions, it opens the door for many types of grant monies that are available, that can be utilized for more officers, equipment, training…you name it. This is one of the many facets of my plan to make Berkeley County a more well-rounded department.
I was asked probably one of the biggest questions regarding a huge topic in our county….the jail. “What are your plans on increasing the man-power for the jail and obtaining the funding to pay those correctional officers, without increasing taxes?” Let me tell you how excited I was to hear this great question! Yes, I agree; the budget for man-power allotment should have been included in the original proposal and for some reason, it seems it wasn’t. I do not consider myself a politician. To me, politicians try to sell too many broken promises. I consider myself a typical blue-collar guy that knows what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and the last thing I want is higher taxes!
So to answer the question about how I plan on finding the money for the correctional officers, it’s easy and the money is already here. Traffic Enforcement. Now before everyone starts screaming “Oh, you’re just wanting to turn our county into a speed trap. “NO!” Consider the major thoroughfares we have in this county, I-26, I-526, Hwy. 52, Hwy. 17A, Hwy. 176, Redbank Rd. and so on. Many of these roads are heavily traveled throughout the day and most have had some type of collision at least once a day. The fact remains, by enforcing traffic laws and doing more enforcement, the county will actually receive a percentage of the revenue from the State. I also believe it will help alleviate the feeling of “Where’s a police officer when you need one?” Having deputies being more visible also helps deter crime and future violations. If Berkeley County had been conducting just a fraction more of the traffic enforcement than they do now, I believe the jail could have been staffed years ago.
And finally, I also believe the manpower in whole needs to be evaluated. Restructuring of the deputies and their assignments needs to be addressed. Currently, specialized teams appear to be staffed first. I will make certain we have adequate staffing in patrol before allowing expansions of special teams.
I appreciate everyone that took the time to read this. The only way Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office will change is by your vote on June 10. I humbly ask for your support in making Berkeley County a “Safer County. Better Life.”
Matt Smoak, B.S., NREMT-Paramedic
www.mattsmoakforsheriff.com
(843)817-8810
(843)817-8810
(Note: Letters to the Editor do no represent endorsements from The Berkeley Observer)
