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After hearing Monday night from a series of speakers for and against Oakboro entering into a contract with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office for protection, Stanly County commissioners voted 6-1 to table a decision on the contract.
Commissioner Peter Ascuitto made the motion in favor of Oakboro Town Board tweaking its proposed contract, approving it at a town meeting, the next one being Oct. 21, and sending it back to the county before the end of the year for further discussion.
Most of the speakers agreed that the town’s goal is to rebuild its police department. However, disagreements focused on the length of the contract and whether the Sheriff’s Office is currently as visible as the town’s former police force.
Oakboro Commissioner Lanny Hathcock was the first to speak in public comments.
“No town needs to face what we have faced,” Hathcock said.
Oakboro had a series of resignations from the police department during 2024, including Chief T.J. Smith. The Sheriff’s Office has been providing contracted law enforcement to the town since the spring, when the town’s force was depleted but still active.
“We’ve been fortunate that Sheriff [Jeff] Crisco stepped up and offered us a supplemental contract to help fill the voids and he’s been doing that since May,” Hathcock said.
“We want to build the police department back, but that’s going to take some time. It’s not going to be something that can be done overnight — and you want to get the right people in there,” he added. “We want to have as good or better than what we had and approving a contract with the county sheriff’s department would afford us that time to pick the correct people to run that department. I’m not saying that some of the ones that were there wouldn’t come back. I’m not saying they weren’t the right people, but they chose to take another path at this time.”
Oakboro resident Laura Scott agreed with Hathcock that time is needed to rebuild a department, but she disagrees with the five years stated in the contract that was before commissioners.
“We don’t need that much time. We probably just need to hire a couple of people that we’ve had previously and then we need to get our town administrator on board to start hiring some people,” Scott said.
She said she knew of an applicant who is waiting to be interviewed.
Scott then spoke of what she called a “crime spree” over the first few days in October, with guns, lawnmowers and cars among items being stolen.
She claimed the presence of the Sheriff’s Office is not the same level as when the police department was fully staffed. (The Town of Oakboro confirmed on Tuesday that it still employs two police officers.)
“This is why I’m a 1,000% against this contract being signed,” she added. “They are stretched thin. I’m not saying the Sheriff’s [officers] aren’t doing their job. Everybody’s stretched thin. I get it, but we need to build back our PD.”
New London Mayor Tate Daniels spoke of how the Sheriff’s Office has been an asset to the town. New London has contracted with the county for law enforcement services for at least 20 years, Daniels said.
“We are completely satisfied with what they do,” Daniels said. “Anytime I call Jeff, if he doesn’t answer the phone right off, within 10 minutes he calls me back and every time I call him he takes care of any issues we have immediately.”
The town lets the Sheriff’s Office use the former town hall as its base in New London.
“It puts a larger presence in Northern Stanly County, not just for New London but for Richfield, the whole northern end of the county,” Daniels said.
He said the town would not be able to afford its own police department.
Richfield Mayor Ian Focht also spoke highly of the services of the Sheriff’s Office and Crisco.
“Under his leadership, our community has experienced a consistent level of safety and peace of mind thanks to his dedicated deputies who are a true staple of our town,” Focht said. “Their professionalism, responsiveness and deep connection to our residents have made a significant positive impact on Richfield.
“Whether Oakboro’s contract with Sheriff Crisco is temporary or permanent, it would undoubtedly be a great decision for the citizens of Oakboro,” he added. “Not only will they benefit from his team’s high standard of protection and community engagement, but his partnership would also allow him to expand his resources to better protect Oakboro. This collaboration will provide an even stronger safety network for the region.”
Oakboro Mayor Chris Huneycutt said the Sheriff’s Office has “done an outstanding job for our community.”
“I appreciate what you’ve done for us and what you continue to do because our first priority is the safety and security for the town and the citizens of Oakboro,” Huneycutt said.
Oakboro resident Elaine Eschert was the last to speak in public comments. She is against the Sheriff’s Office taking over.
“We had a great Police Department,” she said. “I don’t know why we’re at the point we’re at now.
“I just ask that you all look at it and think of it as your town and would you like this happening in your town,” she added.
When the topic of the contract came up later in the meeting, Commissioner Trent Hatley said he was reluctant to go into a long-term deal with anyone.
“… The town of Oakboro has had a police department since day one of some sort,” he said as Crisco stood before the board. “I think the people in Oakboro, my feeling is from what I understand from them, would rather keep a police department and I can understand that. I also understand that they also need police protection, which you can give them for now.”
Hatley said he believed the Sheriff’s Office would provide good protection, but he doesn’t feel the situation has been transparent enough. For that reason, Hatley preferred the board hold off on approving the contract.
He was the lone vote against the matter being tabled.
“We’ve got to have law enforcement protection throughout our county,” Chairman Bill Lawhon said. “I would hope that the protection I get where I live would be the same if I  lived in Oakboro.”
Crisco added that he lived within a mile of the town’s limits.
“Oakboro is my home,” he said.
Contract Details
The proposed contract included for review by commissioners Monday night called for eight full-time officers, including one with the rank of sergeant, six with the rank of deputy and one school resource officer, which would form the Sheriff’s Office’s Oakboro Division.
Oakboro would provide the funding for salary, benefits, FICA, retirement, 401K, overtime, workers’ compensation coverage, property and liability insurance coverage, uniforms, training and education materials, equipment, fuel and maintenance of equipment and vehicles. It would also pay for bullet proof vests, tasers, radios, laptops, radar units and vehicles.
The town would have paid the county more than $500,000 from Tuesday until June 30, 2025, if the contract had been approved Tuesday night. The contract was to last through June 30, 2029.
Commissioners asked County Manager Andy Lucas and staff to alert Oakboro of changes, including:
“1. The Town of Oakboro would have first right of refusal to hire any officers employed by the Sheriff’s Office for the Oakboro division as part of the interim law enforcement services contract upon termination of the contract by either party.
“2. The contract should explicitly state all equipment provided by the Town of Oakboro to the Sheriff’s Office for the provision of law enforcement services under the contract would revert back to the Town of Oakboro if the contract were terminated by either party.
“3. Further clarify the Town of Oakboro’s full intention to rebuild/restructure their police department and that any contract with the County (via the Sheriff’s Office) was simply an interim law enforcement services contract to allow the Town sufficient time to rebuild/restructure their police department.”