Sheriff announces bid for re-election

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Since 2012, Rich McNamee has held the title as Henry County Sheriff, and he hopes to continue in that position for another term as he announces his bid for re-election.

Pointing to his conservative views, his established work record and his love for the community, McNamee says he hopes to continue furthering some of the projects and programs he has helped establish in the county?s sheriff?s office.

?Simply put, I love what I do and I love working with my staff and the community,? said McNamee.

In addition to his time as the Henry County Sheriff, McNamee also served with the Mt. Pleasant Police Department from 1993 to 1997, before moving to the Henry County Sheriff?s Office. He also worked part-time for the New London Police Department.

Since taking the reins as Henry County?s Sheriff, McNamee has lead the county on what he says has been a ?proactive and aggressive? approach to law enforcement. In his time as Sheriff, data shows crimes such as vandalism, assaults and thefts are down, while more drug and alcohol arrests have been made.

According to McNamee, the statistics are a result of a more managed action plan implemented by himself and his staff, as well as a solid working relationship with other local law enforcement offices.

?Drugs, for an example, have been a problem for years. The reason drug arrests are up is not because drugs weren?t around as much 10 years ago. We are just being more aggressive and strategic about how we go about finding drugs and getting them off the streets,? said McNamee.

To help in that area, McNamee has assisted in the establishment of programs like the Text-A-Tip line, giving local citizens an anonymous and user-friendly way to report crime and suspicious activity. In addition, the sheriff?s office is now more evenly distributing deputies throughout the rural areas of the county during patrol hours, giving the county as a whole a more active law enforcement presence.

In regards to active, ongoing projects enacted by the sheriff, perhaps the most major is a developing jail expansion project. With an ever-growing demand on the jail?s capacity due to an uptick in arrests being made countywide, McNamee has been developing plans for an expansion of the county?s pre-existing jail.

According to McNamee, the county his spending over $12,000 a month on average to transport and house prisoners in neighboring counties when the county?s jail reaches capacity. And while the money and time certainly factor into the sheriff?s reasoning behind wanting to expand the jail, he says safety is an even more compelling reason.

?Every time my staff has to transport inmates out of county, there is absolutely a certain amount of risk involved in that,? said McNamee. ?How do you put a price tag on staff safety? You can?t. If we didn?t have to haul prisoners all over, it would greatly lessen the danger to my staff.?

Sheriff McNamee and his wife, Carla, have four children and currently live in the south central part of the county.

Overall, McNamee says he looks forward to being able to serve the citizens of Henry County for another four-year term and continue his rich history in law enforcement.