The Daily Tar Heel: What is the biggest public safety issue facing Orange County?
Buddy Parker: There's many different factors. Drugs being number one but communication. We need to collaborate with our surrounding agencies.
DTH: How will you address the school to prison pipeline in Orange County?
BP: The biggest thing there is, we’ve got to get more involved in our school systems. We have to reach all of our kids. As a society, we have to provide positive opportunities for kids so they know they don’t have to go that way. We have to implement a new community services strategy across the county.
DTH: How will you effectively manage the sheriff's office?
BP: Well I lead by example. I don’t sit behind a desk. I’ve got to get out there with my deputies and be accesible to them. I have to have faith in them that they are going to do that job. The citizens deserve that.
My goal is to ensure that each and every deputy is trained to the level that at any given time, that if its required of them, that they can step into the role of supervisor and manager and lead. I don’t have all the answers and I don’t claim to have all the answers.
