Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers and his staff have been waiting over two years for a new Sheriff’s Department headquarters and this week both Rogers and Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said it’s frustrating the project is taking so long.
They said it seems as though the county has been dragging its feet on the headquarters while other major projects are either already completed or are moving along briskly.
The move for a new Sheriff’s Department headquarters started long before Rogers was elected Sheriff in November of 2018. Plans for the headquarters were moving forward when former Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes was still the county’s top law enforcement official, and Rogers said this week something that he’s said several times before that the county made it much more of a priority under the former sheriff than they did after Rogers, took charge of the office.
Rogers made the comments while waiting for the arrival of Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, April 19, when Harris visited the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in downtown Greensboro.
Rogers said that, if former Sheriff BJ Barnes were still sheriff, the headquarters would have likely been open by now.
Barnes was a white Republican sheriff, and, until early December of 2020, the board was run by a majority of white Republican men. On several issues since being elected, Rogers has argued that the previous board was reluctant to provide adequately for his department’s needs. Rogers said the board was much more accommodating when Barnes was sheriff.
A new Democratic majority Board of Commissioners took charge of the county in December of 2020, and, at a Board of Commissioners retreat a month and a half ago ago, Alston, the current Democratic chairman who is a black man, made it clear to staff that he felt the county had been very slow regarding the project and he wanted that to change.
The Guilford County Sheriff’s Department is currently headquartered in the Otto Zenke Building at 400 West Washington St. in downtown Greensboro. For years, staff there have pointed out structural problems with the aging building. Though some money has been spent to make repairs and alleviate flooding issues, the administrative staff are eager to get a new headquarters.
Other major and expensive projects that began about the same time – such as a new Guilford County Behavioral Health Center, a new animal shelter and a new Emergency Services vehicle maintenance facility have proceeded along nicely.
Same ol’ mess. The same chairman pressing to get it done will complain and slow the process demanding more minority participation. Ain’t government a bitch?
It has NOTHING to do with race! It has to do with the lack of experienced staff & all the MWBE crap. When Barnes was in office all the major department heads were established and knew what they were doing. They change with the wind nowadays and you also have a whole lot of freshmen on the board. If you want to know about how long a much needed project can take in Guilford County, talk to your Emergency Services folks about their ordeal to get that new HQ built. The Sheriff’s Office is moving at a lightning pace by comparison.
“and a new Emergency Services vehicle maintenance facility have proceeded along nicely.” That’s the best laugh alive had in a while. If 10-11 years is proceeding along nicely I guess it did!
There’s the proof if the sheriff was white and the county chair was white they could use their “White Privilege “ and the new building would be open dang privilege and racism strikes again
Alston tossing out he race card again? I am shocked!
Yes indeed. White privilege has found its way into county construction now. The NEW county council is shading the old council with no proof, just wild accusations using the race card liberally.
What a great way to lead the people.
I’m sure that the new Sheriff’s Office would have been finished by now if sheriff Rogers had not discarded all the previous money and work that had already been done. He did not want anything that Sheriff Barnes had already started. He scraped everything and started over again even though thousands of dollars had already been invested in the new Sheriff’s Office. Now him and Alston are using the race card! Any excuse to cover up his inability to run the Sheriff’s Office. The excuse that a WHITE SHERIFF would get everything before a BLACK SHERIFF is ridiculous, but this seems to be the only excuse that they can come up with. Hopefully the new Sheriff’s Office will be ready for SHERIFF PHIL BYRD IN 2022!!!!!!
Wow pulling the race card in a High Rank Sheriff position. No wonder guilford county is going down hill and having so many killings, people of color getting bold because they know a african Sheriff will not arrest his own he will just let them run rampet. That is no way to lead people and get people to come together
I do not see any quotes from Rogers calling the race card. I see Rogers stating that he did not receive what Barnes would have received. Could this be due to a “Republican Majority run county Party”? Rogers would be foolish to play the race card. Skip on the other hand just like certain Greensboro city councilwoman DNA’s played the race card.
As I remember the “Badge” shall not see color. If Rogers or anyone does make a statement, the Rhino times shall place same in quotations so we know same came from that individuals mouth.
Yes- “you can quote me on that.”