Two men with years of law enforcement experience are vying to protect and serve the residents of Georgetown County as their sheriff.

Incumbent Lane Cribb, who has held the position since 1992, is seeking another term, while petition candidate Darryel Carr is challenging Cribb after being added to the ballot after being removed earlier this year, along with several other candidates in various races.

Cribb said he wants to continue to reduce crime and provide professional services through the sheriff’s office, and Carr said he wants to continue a 10-year law enforcement career, and share his faith and belief in public safety.

Carr criticized Cribb’s department by saying he has heard from voters that crime is increasing and not being adequately addressed by the department. Carr described the county as a “new melting pot” that needs a change in law enforcement.

“I want to see our sheriff’s department openly accessible by providing community policing and common-sense law enforcement,” Carr said. “I will saturate and identify high crime areas and eradicate them. I will restructure community based policing and build a better relationship with every community which in turn solve crime and give the citizens a different perception of law enforcement.”

Cribb said he’s heard from voters that they are concerned that crime could increase if the economy remains weak or declines more.

“I cannot predict what the future of the economy will be, but I can tell you that my office will remain proactive in enforcement efforts and continue to provide the effective and professional services that the citizens of Georgetown County have come to expect,” Cribb said.

Since the economy has taken a turn, Cribb said he has lost deputies to surrounding agencies because they offer higher salaries and he wants to retain more deputies in the department.

“I plan to solicit public support in raising the County Council’s awareness to this issue in hopes of redirecting nonessential spending by the county towards parity in pay for my deputies,” Cribb said. He noted a pay study was recently completed and published on the sheriff’s website at www.gcsheriff.org.

Carr said he hopes to establish programs to fill gaps in the community such as a junior deputy program, community policing and other assistance programs targeted at the elderly and disabled.

“I want to see that the citizens that call Georgetown County home have confidence once again to stay and raise their families,” Carr said. “The relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Georgetown County needs to be rebuilt.”

Carr said he will be visible and accountable to the voters and refocus the sheriff’s office as a public service organization.

“I am committed and dedicated to knowing the public’s needs by providing quality service and accountability. I want to promote a strong partnership will all the citizens of Georgetown County and embrace new law enforcement techniques that will prevent crime and improve the quality of life in every community,” Carr said. “Our families need a sheriff that is accountable and visible within the communities that I have heard over and over complain of increasing crime in their communities.”

Cribb said he is seeking another term to continue to make Georgetown County a safe place to live.

“One should only seek the office of sheriff to reduce crime and the fear of crime. As sheriff, I have always kept that as my top priority,” Cribb said. “I command an office that has crime clearance rates significantly higher than state and national averages, and serve a county that has lower crime rates than any other county around us.”

Contact TONYA ROOT at 444-1723.