Public and commissioners clash over sheriff oversight, chairman's arrest-statements draw criticism

A public commenter and multiple county commissioners clashed over the Rockingham County Sheriff's office and the conduct of Board Chairman Kevin Berger at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 4 in Eden. The exchange included a public allegation that Chairman Berger misstated drug-arrest numbers, commissioners' expressions of support for deputies, and discussion of oversight items including jail deaths and insurance impacts.

Kevin Southard, a resident who signed up for public comment, told the board that Chairman Kevin Berger had repeatedly cited the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data to claim there were zero drug-trafficking arrests by the sheriff's office in 2022 and 2023. Southard said those statements were misleading and provided his own spreadsheet of county arrest records to the county manager. "That claim is not just inaccurate, it's patently false," Southard said, and he read annual counts from sheriff's-office records he said he had obtained: 234 drug arrests in 2021 (11 trafficking), 281 drug arrests in 2022 (25 trafficking), 365 drug arrests in 2023 (36 trafficking), 451 drug arrests in 2024 (20 trafficking), and 237 drug arrests through July 2025 (24 trafficking). Southard said he would deliver more than 180 pages of arrest data to the county manager and urged commissioners to stop allowing what he described as political attacks on the sheriff's office.

Other public speakers echoed support for deputies. Doug Eisley, a resident, thanked the sheriff's deputies for their service and urged commissioners to put county interests ahead of politics.

Commissioners responded with differing emphases. Commissioner Hall told the audience that budget votes earlier had increased funding for the sheriff's office, listing recent budget increases and a post-budget $87,000 approval for a 24/7 jail nurse; he framed the board's role as oversight rather than opposition to law enforcement. Commissioner Barrow urged residents to consider foster care needs connected to drug-related family disruptions and announced social services events. Commissioner Richardson thanked public commenters and volunteers and noted roadway-safety follow-ups related to a recent fatal crash.

Several commissioners detailed concerns that have driven oversight efforts. Commissioner Hall listed operational and legal problems cited during prior oversight, including "12 deaths in the jail since 2021," the discovery of unauthorized contracts, staff terminations for misconduct, loss of primary jail liability insurance and higher premiums in the secondary market, and poor state inspection reports. Hall said the board has a responsibility to question the sheriff to protect taxpayers and improve county operations. Commissioner Hall also said the board's scrutiny preceded improvements in some areas.

During commissioner comments, Commissioner Kellum moved for a vote on the board's chair. The transcript records a motion, a second, and commissioners answering "Aye" and "Nay" when called, but the transcript does not show a formal roll-call tally or a clear statement that the chair changed. Chairman Kevin Berger was asked whether he believed his conduct created a conflict or the appearance of a conflict; he answered, "No. Not at all. I believe everything we've discussed have been county business here at the meetings."

The board concluded with routine scheduling and adjournment. Commissioners announced the next meeting for Aug. 18. The transcript records no formal change of chair and no other binding board action related to the sheriff or personnel at the Aug. 4 session.

This account distinguishes public comment (statements by residents during the public-comment period), commissioner statements during the commissioners' comment period, and motions or formal votes recorded by the board. Where speakers presented numerical data (arrest figures, insurance costs, jail deaths), the article reports the numbers as given in the meeting without independently verifying them; those figures were attributed to speakers or described as being on documents delivered to the county manager.