Editor’s note: rrspin.com today begins its look at the five people who have submitted their names for consideration for the appointment to fill the unexpired term of Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Frazier. rrspin.com submitted the questions to all five and will be running them in alphabetical order. The answers are published as submitted with only grammar, spelling and style edits. Comments are closed on these profiles. Tuesday we publish the profile of Chuck Hasty.

Introduction

My name is M’Bechi “Tyree” Davis. I am 32 years old. I have been married to Arnette Terry Davis for eight years. We have a two-year-old little boy that was born on Valentines Day, 2011. I grew up in Weldon, but I currently reside in Enfield.

I was hired by Sheriff Jeff Frazier to be a patrol deputy in 2003. I was promoted to corporal, narcotics investigator, then to detective sergeant in investigations.

I have a General Deputy Sheriff Certification, Basic Law Enforcement Certification, Intermediate Law Enforcement Certification, and an Advanced Law Enforcement Certification all issued by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission.

I also have formal training in several other fields such as Managing Criminal Justice Organizations, Command and Control Overview, Responding to and Identifying School Terrorism: Planning and Preparedness, and Criminal Procedure.

I graduated from Weldon High School. I continued my education and later Graduated ECPI College of Technology with a diploma in Computer Technology. At the completion of ECPI I held certifications as a Certified Fiber Optics Installer from the Electronics Technicians Association, A+ Certified Professional from CompTIA, Certified Customer Service Specialist from the Electronics Technicians Association, and as a Certified Computer Service Technician from the Electronics Technicians Association. 

While attending ECPI College of Technology I worked at Lowe’s Home Improvement store. At Lowe’s I was promoted to department manager. My responsibilities included establishing a schedule for staff, inventory, department budgeting, managing and supervising personnel and policy and procedures.

I have Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Kaplan University where I graduated with honors — Magna Cum Laude. I attended a year of Law School at North Carolina Central University.

I am currently a part time deputy at the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office. I am also the President of T. A. Davis Freight, L.L.C. based out of Enfield. My current responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees, scheduling, record keeping, inventory, budgeting, managing and supervising personnel, and policy and procedures.

Why do you want to be sheriff?

I love the citizens of Halifax County, I love the deputies of the Halifax County Sheriff's Office and I believe they all continue to deserve a sheriff that is fair, consistent, progressive, and that will operate the Sheriff's Office based on overall qualifications, performance, and experience. Jeff Frazier is a good sheriff who has built a great team of core deputies that are sincerely dedicated to serving the citizens of Halifax County and with my knowledge I will implement modern day practices to progress the office into one of distinction within the law enforcement community. I will continue to follow the foundation laid by Sheriff Frazier while implementing modern day law enforcement tactics and ideas. 

I will create a department that can get along with and work with other law enforcement departments in the county to lower crime throughout Halifax County. The sheriff’s office will become more proactive instead of reactive.

I want to do more for the kids and young adults in the community. I want to have law enforcement field days/career days focused on kids and young adults. This gives them a chance to meet and interact with the officers. Law enforcement officers are role models to kids in their local community and I will give the kids a chance to not only meet their role model but also create a bond and friendship with the Deputy’s

If you are not appointed sheriff by the board of commissioners will you still file to run?

Absolutely, my love for the deputies and citizens of Halifax County will not change based only on the decision of the Halifax County Commissioners. As I stated above, I believe both the citizens of Halifax County and the deputies currently working at the Sheriff's Office, continue to deserve a sheriff that is fair, consistent, progressive, and that will operate the sheriff's office based on overall qualifications, performance, education, training and experience, and I will continue to fight for that until someone who can accomplish that is elected, me or not.

Knowing this position is only to fill an unexpired term, do you envision making any immediate changes in personnel and administration or do you leave things as they are until after the primary or general election? Please elaborate.

I believe that if you treat a job, as if it is only temporary you will only get temporary results. I do not feel there would be any termination of employment within the sheriff's office based on my appointment to the office of sheriff. I do, however see a restructure of the office to maximize the efficiency of each position and each dollar spent. As I said before, positions will be based on overall qualifications, performance, education, training and experience.

What are your goals and objectives in this position?

As the sheriff of Halifax County, I will strive to maximize the efficiency of the sheriff's office. I will heighten patrols in high crime areas to prevent crime therefor creating safer communities throughout Halifax County. I will work with judges and District Attorneys Office to seek more prison to for repeat offenders. I will also work with them to help those convicted offenders that are addicted to drugs and alcohol get their imprisonment through the department of corrections rehabilitation centers. This will help those offenders with their addiction instead of just sending them to jail and not getting them any help only to have them get out and continue to commit crimes in Halifax County. Therefor upon their release offenders can become productive citizens in Halifax County.

I plan to capitalize on the drug trade and proactively seek the prosecution of those participating in it, as well as taking their assets, whether inside the county or just “trafficking” through on the interstate. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash and narcotics are trafficked through Halifax County on a daily basis via Interstate 95, I will create a team to proactively seek it. I will utilize deputies and their talents to minimize the flow of illegal drugs through Halifax County via Interstate 95. Let's face it, there are two big criminal issues facing Halifax County today, drugs and property crimes (break-ins and theft). And they all fall under the addiction to illegal drugs. We will never eliminate illegal drugs, but we can fight them harder than they are currently being fought.

The government has thousands of grants for local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to assist with the fight against drugs, guns and gangs. I plan to apply for these grants and allocate the funds to buy new equipment and to better train workers. A trained worker is a more confident and active worker that will instantly become a better deputy and jailer.

Further comments

At 32 years old, I’m youngest of the group of candidates. However, if you look at my overall qualifications, performance, education, training, certifications, and experience you will see that I can stand side by side the other candidates. In March of 2010 North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper even recognized me as an “ELITE” law enforcement officer in the state of North Carolina.

I am a hard working, self-motivated and honest person. I lead by example in both my private and professional life. I am not running for sheriff for a title or to become better known. I am running for sheriff because I believe the citizens of Halifax County deserve better and I have a plan of how to get them there. I had a supervisor that one of his favorite sayings was “work today as if there is a promotion tomorrow.” I did and I will continue to do so.