Charlotte Observer endorsement: Our choice for Mecklenburg sheriff

There is no public official in Mecklenburg County as beleaguered as Sheriff Garry McFadden. His department has been beset by an exodus of employees, charges of toxic leadership and, most troubling, 21 deaths in the Mecklenburg County jail since McFadden took office in 2018.

Just this year alone:

• Five petitioners, including former employees and state representative Carla Cunningham, filed a court petition seeking McFadden’s removal for “willful misconduct and maladministration in office, and willful and habitual refusal to perform the duties of his office.” (A judge dismissed the petition because it did not have approval from the Mecklenburg County district attorney or county attorney.)
• The mother of an inmate who died in Mecklenburg’s jail sued McFadden after jail staff allegedly denied 42-year-old Renny Mobley the medicine he needed in March 2024.
• McFadden was harshly grilled by members of the NC House Select Committee on Oversight and Reform, who asked him about several issues, including jail deaths and one allegation in the petition that he directed employees to transport dignitaries to bars and strip clubs.

For years, McFadden has too often been dismissive and defensive of the very real issues in his department and at his jail. When asked about jail deaths this month, he told N.C. lawmakers that “People die every day across America.” It’s an astoundingly careless response to people dying in a jail for which he’s responsible.

Fortunately, voters have alternatives to McFadden in the Democratic primary: former Chief Deputy Rodney Collins, former detention officer Antwain Nance and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Sgt. Ricky Robbins. There is no Republican running for sheriff.

Collins was a 30-year veteran of the sheriff’s office who worked under five sheriffs, including McFadden, before retiring. He has a precise knowledge of day-to-day operations of the department, right down to overtime rules and issues with health care providers. “I’ve done it in that actual space,” he told the Editorial Board.

Collins is critical of McFadden’s leadership and the “erosion” of policies, procedures and guidelines under his leadership. He promised professionalism and decorum if elected and to “root out toxicity” in the sheriff’s office.

Robbins, who served more than 30 years with CMPD, has the broadest background among the candidates. He has significant law enforcement experience, including criminal investigations, and he’s served with distinction in leadership roles in homicide, SWAT and traffic safety.

He told the Editorial Board that he would focus on changing the culture of the sheriff’s office, where staffing and morale remain an issue. “My attitude does not change,” he told the Editorial Board regarding his leadership. “I don’t have my decisions based out of anger. I understand people can have a bad day.”

Nance served as a detention officer from 2013 to 2015 before leaving for a job in the aviation industry, where he also served as a union representative. We appreciate that he would bring that same advocacy for workers as sheriff, but his experience doesn’t match the other primary candidates.

Voters can be confident that both Collins and Robbins would perform capably as sheriff. Both have deep Charlotte roots and an admirable history of civic engagement. Collins has a firmer grasp of the department’s day-to-day operations, but Robbins offers the freshest start, clearest vision and relationship-building experience that can move the sheriff’s office forward.

We endorse Robbins for Mecklenburg sheriff.

This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 5:00 AM.