Q&A: Camden County Sheriff candidates

Jim Proctor

Campaign email: sheriff31569@gmail.com 

Political affiliation:  Independent

Age: 62 

Home:  Woodbine

Current job/occupation: Sheriff of Camden County 

Education (institutions attended, degrees earned):  Camden County High School / Valdosta State College BFA/Communications

Hometown: Woodbine 

Family:  Wife, Holly; daughters, Clare and Ansley

What is the main challenge or opportunity facing your constituents?

The biggest challenge facing my constituents is truly understanding the complexities of running an Agency on inadequate funding, lack of personnel, deplorable facilities and trying to keep morale up and still be responsive to the needs and wants of our Community.

Tell us what your priorities would be in the first 100 days of office?

Continue to apply for more grants. Continue with improvements with technological advancements. Continue to lay the ground work for a new facility to incorporate all divisions within the agency. Having everyone under one roof would make us more efficient and responsive.

What, in your opinion, makes you uniquely qualified to serve your constituents and what sets you apart from your opponent?

What sets me apart from my opponent is having served in each division within the agency during my 35 plus years at the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, and my experiences as the sitting Sheriff.  I was fortunate enough to serve as a County Commissioner and a Woodbine Councilman which gives me a unique understanding of how those entities all need to operate together.

What are your plans to improve services for your constituents? 

My plans are to continue making training a priority. I believe community involvement is a major asset that needs to be capitalized on. As our County continues to grow, we need to grow as an agency so we can effectively serve our community.

Have you read the budget for your office or board – Yes or No? What priorities would you change? 

Yes, we need more monies for officer pay and benefits and more assets up to and including the latest technology and programs.

What steps should Georgia take to improve quality of life for your constituents?

N/A

How do you feel you can improve public safety in your role if elected?

I feel you can never have enough training or education to improve public safety. The world is changing daily as do our policies and procedures that have to reflect the latest legislative updates and court rulings.

Required for sheriff’s candidates: Do you feel staffing and pay is adequate for your department?

We have made great strides in our OFFICE with increasing our pay, yet we are still not where we should be. However, we must remain competitive with surrounding Agencies if we are to compete in the job market for employees.

If elected, what policies would you favor to deter gun violence?

We do not need any new gun laws, we just need to enforce the existing.

How do you see yourself creating/supporting policies related to climate change? 

N/A

How important is transparency with your constituents after being elected into office? How will you communicate with your constituents on issues?

It is very important to be transparent. Utilizing social media has been our biggest friend along with traditional methods of pushing out as much information and behind the scenes exposure so people can have a complete picture of who we are and what we do in service to our Community.

Is there one key issue driving your run for office? Why? 

To finish what we’ve started, complete rewriting of all policies and procedures, continuing development of training and education programs within the agency and new facility.

J. K. ‘Kevin’ Chaney

Campaign email: jkchaney1154@gmail.com

Political affiliation: Republican

Age: 53

Home: White Oak, for 22 years

Current job/occupation: Kingsland Police Department/Law Enforcement- Patrol Captain 

Education (institutions attended, degrees earned): Troy University/ Columbia Southern University – Criminal Justice Degree

Hometown: Kingsland

Family: Wife, Rebecca; sons, Jackson and Cooper

What is the main challenge or opportunity facing your constituents?

In the last several years, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office has faced double-digit lawsuits stemming from Use Of Force incidents. Lawsuits are inevitable in the society we live in today. What is not inevitable are lawsuits where there is a lack of accountability and responsibility exists.

Getting and keeping good people is critical to the effectiveness of all law enforcement agencies. Recruitment and retention are a top challenge in Camden County. The Sheriff’s Office needs to fix their reputation to recruit and retain good deputies. Once the Sheriff’s Office improves the culture and deputies’ well-being (mental health), you will see improvements in recruitment. 

Tell us what your priorities would be in the first 100 days of office?

The first 30 days I will observe and listen carefully rather than talk. I will look for strengths and weaknesses while learning communication patterns. Start partnerships with the Board of County Commissioners, Elected Officials, Community Leaders and the County Government. I will describe what targets I have in mind and how they will be delivered. Begin to work with risk management teams and insurers to help reduce and lower insurance rates for the county.

What, in your opinion, makes you uniquely qualified to serve your constituents and what sets you apart from your opponent?

How do law enforcement leaders accomplish their goals? The formula is simple – by knowing their profession, knowing themselves, and knowing their people. I love Camden County; I have a family here. I’m committed to seeing our Sheriff’s Office meet the ever-changing challenges that society has placed on Law Enforcement. I have served my country in the military and my community in law enforcement for over 30 years, that’s over half my life in public service. I know this is what I’ve been called to do. This is my life; this is my calling. I have worked in every field within the law enforcement profession. I have been training and learning my entire adult life to serve as a Sheriff.

What are your plans to improve services for your constituents? 

I will strive to enhance the quality of life for the deputies and the citizens of Camden County. I firmly believe it begins with three leadership principles: Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency. We will provide the highest level of service by collaborating with the community to prevent, investigate, and solve crime, and implementing innovative and proactive policing methods.

My strategic plan is based on agency priorities: Create a health & wellness program and increase personnel engagement. Provide a collaborative approach to strengthen community investments (community engagement team). Recruit qualified, skilled professionals while evolving with the changing workforce and offering a competitive compensation package. Provide leadership opportunities to connect our multigenerational and diverse workforce. Modernize equipment, technology, and infrastructure. Build and promote career development paths for all areas of the organization preparing individuals for leadership roles and responsibilities. 

This plan is based on our greatest needs as a modern-day criminal justice organization and the most significant community concerns to the citizens of Camden County. Together, these priorities are an essential part of our shared success. They will improve our agency, the lives of our employees, and the well-being of the citizens we have the honor to serve

Have you read the budget for your office or board – Yes or No? What priorities would you change? 

I have reviewed the current fiscal year budget (FY 2025) for the Camden County Sheriff’s Office.  The biggest part of the budget is salary and benefits, as that is usually the case in must budgets. Once elected, I will begin the process of addressing budget issues with my finance director and the County’s finance director. I will never be satisfied with the status quo. I will always be seeking ways to improve the Sheriff’s Office financially. Regular meetings with the county government, assure my staff assesses operating costs, be up to speed on economic development, look for alternate funding sources, crime analysis for new growth, compare trends and set benchmarks to meet throughout the year to be accountable for the taxpayer’s money. I must make sure the Sheriff’s Office is conscientious of how the public money is spent.

What steps should Georgia take to improve quality of life for your constituents?

 A state of the art recreation program across the state , to include, all ages, male and female. Provide these programs to everywhere, to include under privileged locations around the state.

How do you feel you can improve public safety in your role if elected?

• Responsible leadership: communication! Take care of our employees and they will take care of their leader. That will reciprocate to the public with positive interaction with our citizens when leadership cares. That means you lead from the front. You work with them guiding them through difficult situations or just merely being there for support.

• Transparency: where information is hidden there is no trust, but communities are stronger where trust prevails. Be honest and open with Camden County. Put the information out to the citizens we work for (good and bad). There is no reason to withhold information if we follow the rule of law. We will make our policies and procedures open for the public to see and advocate for citizen engagement when it comes to policies.

• Accountability: I will accept responsibility for failures within the Sheriff’s Office and act to correct that failure. I will hold myself and all employees accountable to the citizens we serve. That means when we make a mistake or do something that is not consistent with our policies and procedures, you are held accountable. 

• Community Engagement:  Have regular meetings with community leaders and town halls for feedback to help us be a better neighbor. Job fairs in our communities to hire from each local neighborhood

Required for sheriff’s candidates: Do you feel staffing and pay is adequate for your department?

I do not work at the Sheriff’s Office currently. I will say staffing is low and the pay is adequate.

If elected, what policies would you favor to deter gun violence?

Collaborate with the two city police departments to form a Joint Task Force. Task Forces in law enforcement are extremely effective for several reasons. First and foremost, the task force model allows for law enforcement officers with various authorities across the law enforcement spectrum to come together and work as a team. Benefits all three agencies financially and provides resources one agency may have and the other does not. Provides a great opportunity to share seized assets with all three agencies that were obtained for illegal criminal enterprise.

How do you see yourself creating/supporting policies related to climate change? 

Will work with State, Federal authorities and elected officials

How important is transparency with your constituents after being elected into office? How will you communicate with your constituents on issues?

• Transparency: where information is hidden there is no trust, but communities are stronger where trust prevails. Be honest and open with Camden County. Put the information out to the citizens we work for (good and bad). There is no reason to withhold information if we follow the rule of law. We will make our policies and procedures open for the public to see and advocate for citizen engagement when it comes to policies. 

• Work with my command staff towards shaping public message

• Establish an agency quarterly data report for the public

• Annual Sheriff’s Office Report to include data, graphs, spotlight departments with photos, staff, and achievements for online consumption via our website

Is there one key issue driving your run for office? Why? 

Leadership: Take care of our employees and they will take care of their leader. That will reciprocate to the public with positive interaction with our citizens when leadership cares. That means you lead from the front. You work with them guiding them through difficult situations or just merely being there for support.