Expansion of DWI Task Force
In 2020, thanks to a grant totaling more than $408,000 from the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office was able to launch its own DWI Task Force.
This represents an increase of 3 Deputies under Sheriff Miller who are dedicated to preventing the loss of life in drunk driving accidents in Buncombe County. The Task Force has a total of 5 Deputies which includes a Sgt. supervising the unit.
Buncombe County is 7th in the state in alcohol-related fatalities.
Prioritizing Rape Kit Testing
In 2021, Sheriff Miller was awarded the prestigious Dogwood Award from North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.
“The older, untested sexual assault kits sitting on local law enforcement shelves are a threat to our public safety,” said Stein. “Sheriff Miller recognized that threat and made it a priority to process those kits for testing. His leadership and his office’s work on this issue puts us one step closer to getting justice for survivors and getting violent criminals off our street.”
Sheriff Miller accepts the Dogwood Award from AG Josh Stein with his wife Karen Miller.
287G and ICE Detainers
The fact that they can be detained without counsel, I disagree with that. The fact that they can be held indefinitely, I disagree with that.
We also will not honor ICE “detainers” which are not a valid warrants for arrest.
Let me also say I support DREAMers. I hope our Congress can find a way to pass a DACA bill. We’re better off because we have these brave young folks contributing to our nation.
Working to Help Solve Our Opioid Crisis
The opioid crisis is the biggest challenge facing Buncombe County. White or back, rich or poor, every demographic group is being impacted by the disease of opioid addiction and the huge amount of fentanyl we now see circulating in our community. I say disease because I believe we cannot arrest our way out of this problem.
There are no easy answers to this crisis. It will take a community response to begin to tackle this and it will take years. We cannot pretend that issues of addiction and disease can be solved overnight.
Ban on No-Knock Warrants
“This ban on no-knock warrants is both an officer safety and public safety measure. Entering a residence or business without giving notification is a high-risk endeavor for our personnel and all involved, that level of risk is not warranted,” says Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller.
The 21-page policy reads in part:
“Before entering, deputies must knock and give appropriate notice of their identity and purpose to the person in apparent control of the premises to be entered. After announcing their identity and purpose, and if the deputies believe that admittance is being denied or unreasonably delayed, the force necessary to complete the entry may be used.”
Training and Education
Our responsibility is far-reaching, and the need for more effective and professional training is critical. This includes Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) which equips our staff to deal with individuals in crisis or living with mental disabilities.
“Every law enforcement officer must be empowered with the necessary training to keep our staff and community safe. De-escalation is a proven tactic to make policing safer for the public and for officers. This element of a training program helps deputies assess potentially dangerous situations and minimize the risk of harm for everyone involved.” - Sheriff Quentin Miller
Medical Marijuana
As Sheriff I expect that sometime while in office medical marijuana will become an option for pain treatment in North Carolina. I have been asked many times on the campaign trail about my positions on marijuana policies, I want to be absolutely clear on my position.
If people are suffering because of cancer or other medical conditions and can be helped by the use of marijuana after consulting with a doctor, I believe they should have access to this method of pain treatment.
It is important that people realize that the Sheriff does not write laws, but I can and will publicly advocate for medical marijuana.
Across our country, more than 35 states and D.C. now have laws in place that allow adults to responsibly use marijuana if approved by a doctor. It’s time for us to take this step forward in North Carolina.