Yes, there is a new sheriff in town, and it already shows.
Certainly, a mere couple of weeks is not an accurate gauge on what long term performance might ultimately be; however, it is not through the haze of honeymoon vision to say that Gino “Rock” Brantley has hit the ground running.
It is clear that Brantley used his time between the election and his swearing in to begin prioritizing the steps needed to transform the lackluster Sheriff’s Office into a crack law enforcement unit that garners both public respect and confidence.
Despite a continued staff shortage, patrol units are far more visible on the streets, and the reason is that morale among the rank-and-file has surged to a level not seen in years.
One of the first orders of business was for Brantley to find money in the budget for raises for nearly everyone cop wearing the uniform, causing morale to soar. Rather than while away the time sitting in a parking lot, deputies want to be seen.
A lack of police presence in the Summerville area has been one of, if not the main reason, the good folks of that neighborhood have been clamoring to create their own city limits; however, some of that talk might die down as neighbors may no longer have to take patrolling into their own hands.
Sheriff Brantley has made it clear that he sees the media as an ally, not an enemy. The result has been a 180 degree change in how the Sheriff’s Office communicates with the media, even on weekends when public information officers under Roundtree were scarce.
Deputy morale and public confidence are important first steps for a new administration and Brantley has aced that test, in our opinion.
Brantley has promised that once the staffing issues have eased a bit more, he will return to having his deputies respond to alarm calls, a move that can only endear him further to the citizenry. We hope that he makes that promise his next priority.
