Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

I am a career law enforcement officer with more than 35 years of law enforcement experience here in Dare County. Having worked with both the Nags Head Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office, I have 28 years as a law enforcement manager and leader and have served the past 8 years as Sheriff.

I am 60 years old, have been married to my wife for 24 years and I am a life long resident of Dare County. In addition to my service to the citizens of Dare as a law enforcement officer, I served my country as a member of the Army and am a Vietnam veteran where I earned a bronze star for meritorious service for my service in Vietnam.

During my career, I have had the opportunity to attend training that has prepared me well for my current job as Sheriff. The highlight of my training experience is that I am a graduate of the prestigious F.B.I. National Academy. In addition to that training, one of the most useful educational courses I have taken was the County Administration School with the Institute of Government at UNC Chapel Hill. This is the same class that newly appointed county managers attend.

As a career officer, I have had the opportunity to serve in several statewide professional organizations. Chief among those is that I am now serving as the Chairman of the N.C. Sheriffs' Education & Training Standards Commission. In addition, I have served as a law enforcement instructor for more than 20 years in community colleges and have instructed in the school for newly elected sheriffs.

I am a founding board member of the Dare Coalition Against Substance Abuse which I still serve in that capacity and also serve on the Board of Directors for the Dare Community Crime Line.

While there are common needs in each community throughout the county, every community is not the same. Some of our communities are heavily impacted by the many tourists that visit our beautiful county while others are not. That is why it is so important to listen to the needs of every community to find out from you, the citizens, what is important to you. While I have been your Sheriff, I have held community meetings throughout the county and have met with countless groups and individuals to learn how I can better serve you and I will continue to do that. Community involvement is the key to addressing the concerns of the county. Without this, no law enforcement agency can be effective.

I know that substance abuse is one of the biggest concerns of our citizens and it has impacted many families along with families being victimized by domestic violence throughout the county. Substance abuse and domestic violence are often linked together. Addressing these two issues has been a priority since I was elected as your Sheriff. But law enforcement alone cannot solve these problems. That is why I have been so active in community groups to address the substance abuse and domestic violence issues and have fully supported the establishment of new treatment programs here in the county.

My credentials speak for themselves. There is still more to do, but with your help, we will continue to make strides in the right direction to make our county even better. I am committed to you, your families and the communities that I serve. I am asking for your support on November 2, 2010 by casting your vote for someone who has the proven leadership experience by voting for Rodney Midgett for Sheriff of Dare County.