Major Larry Lowe will be taking over on August 1 as the chief deputy to Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt, filling the position being left vacant by a retiring Paul Barker.
“I’m beyond blessed and honored that the sheriff has given me this opportunity. I will work tirelessly to continue the route that’s been set forth before me by the previous chief,” Lowe said this week at Surry County Courthouse in Dobson.
Major Lowe entered law enforcement in 1991 before stepping away in 2010 from full time service, he remained a part time sworn officer and retained his certifications before returning full time in 2016.
Lowe steps into the role being vacated by Barker, who said this week that he thinks 30 years of law enforcement is enough and he is now ready for a “a new chapter in life.”
Barker leaves the sheriff’s office after four years of service having moved over from the Mount Airy Police Department where he started serving in September 1993. He climbed from patrol office through detective and rose to lieutenant over all criminal investigations in 2010.
After 26 years of service to the city Barker said it was an easy decision to make the move “when Sheriff Hiatt came in and asked me to come over and be part of his command staff in 2018.”
As the chief deputy, Lowe explained he will be the second in command to Sheriff Hiatt over a force that “has grown a lot in the last few years.” He will take on a leadership role with the departmental budget and personnel matters as well.
In the latter area he knows the road will be difficult, finding applicants for law enforcement jobs is a struggle. “In today’s time in law enforcement, trying to find personnel is hard, no one wants to be a public servant.”
“We are battling it the same as others, although I do believe we have combated it better than some agencies over the last few years. We are still facing (trouble) though right now, trying to find these folks,” Lowe said.
Knowing the solution to draw new candidates into law enforcement Lowe said is the million-dollar answer. Barker said, “I think it’s a calling that a person has to have to go into any type of public service.”
These problems may be exacerbated by a shift among some Americans toward demonizing law enforcement of all stripes for the actions of some within a system some see as fundamentally broken.
Barker noted, “It’s not only police, it’s fire and rescue, too. A lot of these are volunteers, we are not, they have made a conscious effort to get into emergency services to be a servant to their town or community. I think there has been a falling away in interest in that.”
“I’ve seen in,” Lowe agreed. “Back in high school I was a volunteer firefighter, that was something you wanted to do for the community. It was a desire I had, I’m not sure why more people don’t anymore. Maybe it’s the environment of today’s world.”
Barker notes this is not an issue of a lack of local pride, but it is something happening all over. “The sheriff, Larry, and I are in close contact with our counterparts across the state. Everyone is having problems.”
The Surry County Sheriff’s Office leaders bristled at the notion a shortage of staff may hinder the services they offer or their response time. “One of the good things with the people that are involved in service to others is that heart that they have for it. They pick up the slack. Sometimes you do more with less, but those people who are in it, they are the real heroes in my opinion,” Barker said.
“For all intents and purposes, these men and women could go and make more in the private sector but choose to stay in this line of work for that reason, there is no other reason.”
The leadership took time to discuss the new detention center. Progress is ongoing with Barker reporting curbing and landscaping would be likely move forward in August.
In the interior the last cell was placed in June and finishing work is ongoing. “It’s a large building, so they have to go through and clean it, paint it, etc. We are on course from what I am hearing. The weather is the elephant in the room,” Barker said. Estimates currently have the construction done early in 2023 for an opening in late summer.
“My understanding is that it’s all under a roof and that the insulation project is well underway,” Barker said. “If you go down there from this week to next, it’s leaps and bounds in the differences.”
Sheriff Hiatt said his office plans to still use the intake part of the existing jail structure when the new facility opens, but they have no plans to continue housing inmates there.
“There is a reason we are building a new jail, the reason is it’s outdated,” Barker added. “For today’s times it’s broken up into an odd layout” that is not conducive to effective management nor in line with modern jail design.
In another change to modern tactics, the war on drugs finds the county investigation deaths that occur that are related to the scourge of opioids. Arresting and prosecuting the end users of such drugs will never end the blight but Lowe said “our county is leading the way and trying every option that is possible” to fight back.
Coming off the heels of a 13-month investigation into the overdose death of Melissa “Shannon” Dublin and the arrest of Chris Wayne Mosley on a charge of second-degree murder, the leadership said they would consider asking for more resources to add to opioid death investigations. The county’s substance abuse recovery office and sheriff alike are also looking forward to having space in the new jail for drug counseling and education.
On the radar recently with the county commissioners has been the county’s animal control. Sheriff Hiatt said a brainstorming session was scheduled for Wednesday to have discussion on that very topic. Lowe said, “We are looking to try and enhance what we have. We are doing the very best we can for the animals because ultimately that’s what it’s all about.”
Lowe is ready for the task at hand and yet knows he does not yet know everything. His goal for his tenure is laudable, “To continue to push the sheriff’s office in a professional manner to the highest level we can.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com