Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell touts crime fighting as he seeks fourth term
Sheriff Darren Campbell is running for re-election again because, even after all he’s accomplished in his first three terms, his office can still do better work, he said.
Campbell pointed to a reduction in crime rates, having a school resource officer in every county school building, and targeting career and repeat offenders as both his biggest accomplishments and future areas of focus.
“I want to continue to build relationships with our community and our youth and our faith-based groups,” Campbell said in an interview on Wednesday. “Continue to reduce crime and continue to make Iredell County Sheriff’s Office one of the most professional sheriff’s offices in the state.”
Campbell, who was first elected in 2014, announced his bid for a fourth term on social media Tuesday. He said he’s been blessed to receive support from Iredell residents each election.
During his time in office, the county has seen a 56% drop in crime while the county’s population has grown.
After one incident this year, Campbell defended his deputies wearing masks in some operations, mirroring a technique used by federal ICE agents that has been criticized by some experts because police in the United States generally have never hidden their faces or identities unless they were working undercover.
He credited his office’s community work and outreach as helping achieve the decline in crime.
“We do church safety classes ... teen academy, we do an athletic league every year,” Campbell said. “It’s grown to almost 400 girls and boys every April.”
The athletic league splits kids into varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams that compete for a chance at a championship game. Campbell said programs like this deter kids from becoming future offenders.
“We want to make sure we do everything we can to ... make sure they have a good understanding of law enforcement, a good relationship with law enforcement,” he said.
At church trainings, hundreds of congregants are trained in safety and active shooter drills. It helps keep the community informed as well as close to the sheriff’s office, Campbell said.
He said he wants to continue reducing crime, targeting repeat offenders, growing programs and reaching the community.
“I want us to continue being proactive, not reactive,” Campbell said.
No other candidates have filed to run, according to Iredell County election filing records.
