Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley took to the stage on Nov. 2 and in front of an enthusiastic crowd, officially announced his candidacy for sheriff of Richmond County.
“I stand before you as a champion of justice,” Brantley said in his opening remarks.
The primary election will be held May 21 of next year and Brantley has already announced his intention to run on the democrat ticket.
Brantley did not name his opponent, incumbent Sheriff Richard Roundtree by name, but did point out overcrowding and failing infrastructure at the Charles B. Webster detention facility, the loss of experienced deputies and long response times as his top priorities.
In an effort to rebuild the Sheriff’s Office, which is badly understaffed, Brantley says that he will enact a “change of culture” within the department and offer continued education and mentorship to new recruits.
“Our officers should be guardians, partners and friends of the community. When I am elected, crime will not be able to sleep soundly at night,” Brantley said.
Brantley also said he would work to protect the Constitutional rights of citizens while also seeking justice for victims of crime.
A veteran cop, Brantley has a combined 23 years serving in Augusta law enforcement. He served at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for 16 years and climbed the ranks to special operations on the housing squad. He has spent the last seven years at the Richmond County Marshal’s Office, achieving the rank of Sgt.
Many in the crowd wore orange “Gino for Sheriff” tee-shirts and clapped excitedly. LaJeanna Stevenson said she decided to become a volunteer for the campaign because she feels Augusta is ready for a change.
“Crime is out of control and the current sheriff is not responsive to the needs and challenges of the community. Gino has the experience to implement change,” Stevenson said.
Aside from Roundtree, Brantley will also face two other challengers for the position. Richard Dixon and Clarence Lucious “Bo” Johnson IV have created Facebook pages promoting their candidacies, but have not launched their campaigns officially.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
