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Residents press commissioners on sheriff accountability and propose child‑welfare pilot program
Summary
During public comment at the Jan. 21 meeting, residents raised allegations of excessive force by the sheriff’s department and asked for more oversight; an advocate proposed a community‑based project called 'Step Up and Step Back' to reform child‑welfare practices and improve family services.
HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. — Several residents used the public‑comment period at the Harnett County Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 21 to call for greater oversight of the sheriff’s department and to propose changes to how the county handles child‑welfare cases.
Elizabeth Longman opened public comment alleging repeated incidents of brutality and insufficient accountability in the sheriff’s department. “It is a travesty that this board does not require more accountability,” Longman said. “We have been lied to so many times about cameras and body cams.” She urged the board to install cameras in county facilities so commissioners could review footage and know “what’s going on for yourselves.”
Alan Longman, who also spoke during the public comment period, pressed the board to audit past spending allocated to the sheriff’s department and said equipment and jail procedures appear to have flaws that need review. He recommended verifying whether funds already spent were used as intended.
Sarah Lee, who identified herself as a family‑integrity advocate, proposed a project called “Step Up and Step Back.” Lee said the project would review child‑welfare cases in North Carolina since 2017 and seek community‑based alternatives that prioritize keeping families together where appropriate, strengthen kinship and community supports, and increase transparency about how funds are spent. “If we can do it in Harnett County and turn things around and reserve resources for families that need them, then we can really get a grip on promoting protective factors in our community,” Lee told the board.
Speakers asked the board to consider targeted oversight measures, greater transparency about spending on custodial placements, and improved collaboration with community nonprofit partners. Commissioners did not take formal action during the meeting on the requests made during public comment; public‑comment concerns will remain in the record for future consideration by the board and appropriate county departments.
