By Alphonso Small
Beaufort County deserves a new beginning and a conversation about what comes next.
For nearly three decades, Beaufort County has had the same elected leadership in the Sheriff’s Office. That transition gives our community an opportunity to preserve what is working and decide what kind of leadership we want for the future.
I bring more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, including work in corrections, patrol, school-based law enforcement, and leadership as a lieutenant. I understand the responsibilities of the badge, the challenges deputies face, and the importance of protecting the public and those who serve it.
But my candidacy is about more than experience. It is about how the Sheriff’s Office should serve Beaufort County.
My first priority will be strengthening communication between the Sheriff’s Office and the community.
Residents should have ways to raise concerns, receive information, and understand decisions. I will establish a Citizens Advisory Committee, hold community meetings, and strengthen partnerships with schools, churches, neighborhoods, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community leaders.
The Sheriff’s Office should be present when there is no emergency, not only when someone calls 911.
My second priority will be accountability.
Early in my administration, I will conduct a comprehensive review of the agency’s budget, staffing, overtime, contracts, equipment, training, policies, and operations. Taxpayers deserve to understand how their money is used, and deputies deserve the staffing, equipment, training, and leadership necessary to work safely and professionally.
We should be able to explain our priorities and demonstrate our results.
That includes unresolved cases. Victims and families should not feel forgotten because public attention has moved on. I will review investigative resources, strengthen cooperation with partner agencies, and make serious unresolved cases an ongoing priority.
My third priority will be our young people.
I want young residents to know the Sheriff’s Office as more than an institution they encounter during a crisis. I will create opportunities for young people to engage with deputies through mentorship, community partnerships, career opportunities, and a Youth and Community Advisory Council.
We cannot ask the next generation to trust institutions that do not take the time to listen to them.
I will also take a different approach to Beaufort County’s participation in the current 287(g) Task Force Model.
I would end voluntary participation in that model to the fullest extent permitted by law while continuing appropriate cooperation with federal authorities on legitimate criminal investigations.
Our deputies should be focused on protecting Beaufort County, investigating crime, helping victims, apprehending dangerous offenders, and keeping our communities safe. Victims and witnesses should feel comfortable calling law enforcement when they need help.
None of this means everything the Sheriff’s Office has done during the past three decades is wrong.
There are dedicated deputies, investigators, dispatchers, and civilian employees who have served this county faithfully. There are programs and practices worth preserving.
Leadership means keeping what works, changing what does not, and asking whether we are meeting the needs of the people we serve.
I am not asking Beaufort County to simply change the name on the office door.
I am asking for an opportunity to begin a new chapter.
A chapter where young people are heard.
Where victims are not forgotten.
Where deputies are supported.
Where taxpayers receive accountability.
Where every community has a relationship with its Sheriff’s Office.
And where leadership is measured not by how long someone holds an office, but by how well they serve the people entrusted to them.
The badge belongs to the public.
And I am ready to lead a Sheriff’s Office grounded in Accountability. Community. Transparency.
Alphonso Small is a Democratic candidate for Beaufort County Sheriff. He is a law enforcement professional with more than 13 years of experience serving South Carolina communities, currently serving as a member of Beaufort County’s Board of Education. His campaign for Beaufort County Sheriff is centered on accountability, transparency, communication, and stronger connections between law enforcement and the community.