Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Vines Seeks 2nd Term As Sheriff

Nevada County Sheriff Harold Vines announces his intention to seek reelection as sheriff.

"Our department has spent the last year trying to run a good department," he said. "We now have six certified deputies, including a Cops Fast Officer. " Vines applied for, and received, a federal grant and matching funds for the Cops Fast Officer.

He said one of the department's main goals has ben to get control of the growing drug problem in the county. "We have accomplished a lot on this problem and will continue to strive in 1996 to get it under control.

"We have adopted a policy of gaining information and getting search warrants and busting the drug houses located in our county," he continued.

"We have acquired a K-9 drug dog through the combined efforts of the Nevada County Quorum Court, Prescott City Council and the concerned citizens of the county. He (the dog) will be a great asset in our fight against drugs in Nevada County."

In 1995, the NCSO opened 127 felony cases, and a large number of misdemeanor cases. The department arrested a suspect in a double homicide which happened in 1992.

Additionally, there was one murder in 1995, and the NCSO had a suspect in custody before the body had been found. That suspect has now been convicted and sentenced in the murder case.

"In 1995," Vines said, "I saved the county $53,000 by consolidating the city and county dispatchers. I also let a part-time cook go when I entered office, which saved the county another $5,000.

"Also, due to my growing concern in the youth of our county, I have implemented the Nevada County Explorers Program, which is designed to teach our area youth about law enforcement."

Vines said his goals for the future are to continue to work on the growing drug problem in the county.

"We want to revamp our current Auxiliary Program; and continue to broaden our Explorer Program.

"We are implementing a program to use our public service workers and county prisoners to clean up our communities in the county."