According to Sheriff Howell

WADESBORO — With rumors swirling down the aisles of Food Lion and blaring across Charlotte’s prime time news programs over the last few days, Sheriff Scott Howell took a day to collect his thoughts before addressing citizens’ concerns regarding alleged dysfunction between Wadesboro town officials and the Wadesboro Police Department in a phone interview with the Anson Record.

“I can’t address the situation at the Wadesboro Police Department on firsthand knowledge because I’m hearing all the rumors that everyone else is. I think everyone involved should just take a step back, avoid any actions or words that could fuel current conflicts and instead push for negotiations that would be best for the Town of Wadesboro,” Howell said.

Reiterating the sentiments of an earlier Facebook post, Howell stated his confidence in his staff and officers desire to support all of Anson County’s citizens, the Town of Wadesboro and the Administration at the Police Department and their officers. Howell knows shortages in law enforcement personnel is not a new problem. However, he points out Anson County and the Wadesboro Police Department are on the boundaries of other departments that pay more.

“It has been my experience that more money brings more applications, which leads to more new hires,” Howell said.

He added, when conducting interviews, he has discovered applicants want their skill sets to be known, appreciated and used to benefit the agency.

“They (deputies) want to feel like they are giving back to the community. The younger generations grew up in a more diverse population, and they want to work in an agency that shows and promotes diversity, equality and inclusion,” Howell said.

The local workforce pool of Anson County watched their parents work in textile mills and other places that closed in the area. Yesterday’s youth learned from observing their parents take salary cuts, lose their benefits and compromise their passions to work jobs that offered them less value and respect.

“[Employees] want stability and conflicts make them less trusting of employers,” Howell said.

Even so, Sheriff Howell is confident in the partnership his office has with the Wadesboro Police Department.

“I am not concerned about the shortages of officers in the Sheriff’s Office or Wadesboro Police Department. We have been and will continue to help the city officers take calls in the city and back them up when it is necessary. That is something we have been doing for years and they back us up as well,” Howell said. “… Positive community engagement leads to the great job and hard work the Anson County Sheriff’s detective division is doing. I also believe this has led to more cases solved by arrest and more successful court prosecution. All of these factors deter crime and hold those responsible who do commit crimes.”

Anson County’s number one crime is domestic violence, according to data provided by Howell. He describes a pressure cooker of addiction, combined with few opportunities for gainful employment and poor living conditions as fuel for domestic violence.

He encourages any victims of domestic violence abuse to contact the Domestic Violence Coalition.

“Those ladies do an outstanding job at helping victims. Through education and breaking the cycle of abuse we can help reduce violence,” Howell said

The motivation behind crime rarely changes and like every other jurisdiction, break- ins and larcenies are the next highest crimes. He emphasizes that addictions and low employment contribute to these types of crimes as well.

“Police should be proactive and not reactive. That is why it is important for police departments and sheriff’s offices to be fully funded, properly trained and fully staffed,” Howell said.

Acknowledging recent nation-wide attacks on Hispanic and Asian populations, Sheriff Howell is adament that in Anson County, law enforcement has had zero issue in either community.

“I am glad that they live here and are finding a peaceful refuge in our great county. They have been great neighbors to all and should not be stereotyped with anyone crossing our borders illegally,” Howell said.

Opening up in a way seldom seen from a hardened man of the law, Howell shared insight into his history and decision to pursue a career in law enforcement. Howell often pokes fun at his affinity for the Andy Griffith Show, and the easier way of life it depicts. Much like his fabled hero, Howell grew up in a community whose population was small enough for everyone to either know or be related to each other.

“In that kind of atmosphere, you already had the values of treating people right and being respectful to all. It was easy being a young deputy because of all the fine men, who had been deputies before you. You were taught that you were there to solve people’s problems no matter how long it took or what it was,” Howell said.

Growing up in Montgomery County, Howell learned early public service and community commitment matter most. Though it may be a little bit harder to attain, the Sheriff believes that public trust and community respect can still be found.

“I am frequently asked, ‘It’s a bad time to be in law enforcement, isn’t it,’ and I always answer truthfully, [saying] “It is never a bad time to have a job where you can help people,” Howell said.

True to his word, Sheriff Howell started out helping people at 19, working with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the NC Department of Corrections, Mount Gilead Police Department and the North Carolina Highway Patrol before being employed with the Anson County Sheriff’s Office. He credits his resume with shaping and molding him into the Sheriff of Anson County. Fortunate enough to have had a front row seat to a sheriff who led daily with experience and heart, Howell feels that in former Sheriff Landric Reid he learned from the best.

“I was grateful for the opportunity that Sheriff Landric Reid gave me when he asked me to be his Chief Deputy. I was later devastated by his death while he was in office serving the citizens of Anson County. He was a great Sheriff and another person along the way that taught me a lot about serving people. God has blessed me well,” Howell said.