The Caldwell County Republican Executive Committee hosted a Meet and Greet forum Tuesday night at the Courthouse for the five Republican candidates running for sheriff.
The five Republican candidates on the May ballot include Chris Noel, Brent McDowell, Don Weedman, Steve Caldwell, and Keith Suits. Shelia Hodges, chair of the Caldwell County Republican Party, announced that candidate Jeremy Hillyard has withdrawn from the sheriff’s race.
The moderator of the forum, Danny Holt, treasurer for the 1st Congressional District Republican Party, asked each of the candidates the same three questions regarding their qualifications for sheriff, how they plan to address the serious drug problem in Caldwell County, and how they plan to participate with other law enforcement agencies. Each candidate was given the questions prior to the forum and they were allowed a total of 15-minutes to respond.
Chris Noel was the first candidate to speak and noted his qualifications to be the next sheriff include 21-years with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, with twelve of those years as the agency’s chief deputy sheriff.
Noel has also served as the director of the local emergency dispatch center for six years. Within those six years, Noel pointed out he has stayed within budget, obtained new equipment to help dispatchers be more efficient and provide a safer information system for the public, and retain qualified dispatchers with little to no turnover during that time.
He also said his knowledge of the budget sets him apart from the other candidates.
click to download audioNoel said drugs are the main topic among all law enforcement agencies, but all crimes are serious and are directly or indirectly associated with illegal drugs. He added the sheriff’s office will continue to have a proactive approach to the illegal drug epidemic that plagues Caldwell County.
If elected sheriff, Noel said he would like to set up a 56th Judicial task force that includes surrounding counties to address the drug problems, and he would like to get a K-9 unit.
click to download audioNoel concluded his remarks by stating there will be no learning curve if he’s elected sheriff.
click to download audio The News Edge will have the responses to the questions from each of the Republican candidates running for sheriff in the coming days.
You can hear Chris Noel’s complete answers to the questions by clicking on the audio below.
