8 minute read
Sheriff Danny H. Rogers - Guilford County, NC
“Together We Have Created A Positive Change”
By Terry L. Watson
Photos Provided by Still Shots Photography
You may have seen him dancing in parades. You may have also seen him giving out food during the holidays. You may also have seen him conducting town hall meetings. Most importantly, he is always focused on serving the citizens of Guilford County, NC.
Now in his second term as the Sheriff of Guilford County, Danny H. Rogers’s purpose remains the focal point of his work. “I would be the first person to say I don’t make promises. Instead, I put movement, suggestions, and ideas in place that reflect the vision for the Sheriff’s Office as a whole,” he says. “We are a team, and it takes the participation and cooperation from everyone to accomplish our goals and effectively serve our community.”
When Sheriff Rogers was elected in 2018, his primary focus was to restore agency accountability and accreditation, create safer outcomes with community policing, rebuild law enforcement and citizen relationships, save tax dollars through recidivism reduction, reduce officer attrition rates, and develop equitable employment practices. He was able to get those things accomplished. The Sheriff’s Office received full accreditation on November 19, 2021,
from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). Another area of focus was implementing diversity within his department. Today, there are more sworn and non-sworn detention officers and law enforcement deputies on staff, which adequately represent the communities they serve.
In this second term, Sheriff Rogers emphasizes the effectiveness of the Community Resource Units, Patrol Units, and Special Operations Units. “All three have really been engaged with our community. In order to know and learn about our community, we must engage and be inquisitive. We must also exhibit our love for our community and offer hope.”
During his tenure, Sheriff Rogers has also had to deal with the natural and anticipated transitions that occur in such organizations. These changes include retirement and promotions. He shares that retirement is a rewarding aspect of service for those who have earned the chance to do so; however, it is not as rewarding for the organization if it isn’t prepared for the departures. “The hiring process, the cross-training process, and the promotion process are all integral parts of the motor that keeps our department running. We have officers who have worked here for 20 or 30 years and have retired. We have also been fortunate to have officers with less than half of their years of actual service time fall into position,” Sheriff Rogers says.
It is my job as Sheriff to equip our officers and nurture the skills within them that will allow them to prevail wherever they go. I am not focused on stunting anyone’s growth. You can grow here, but it takes time, commitment, and understanding.
Having people in position to fill vacancies left due to retirement is a system that was already in place when Sheriff Rogers took over as Sheriff in 2018. Yet, Sheriff Rogers says the process is more efficient, mainly due to creating opportunities for our staff to get cross-trained in other operations and divisions within the department. “When I was first hired by the Sheriff’s Office in 1985, I went through Detention School and also received mandatory training in other areas. Fast-forward to when I took over, the process appeared not to be as optional for everyone. I made it my mission to create training programs, volunteering, and overtime opportunities for everyone. It hasn’t been easy to do so, but we have made some progress in the right direction. It is my job as Sheriff to equip our officers and nurture the skills within them that will allow them to prevail wherever they go. I am not focused on stunting anyone’s growth. You can grow here, but it takes time, commitment, and understanding. We will become great together. We will be a team together, or we won’t be together. Poison does not bring growth. Poison destroys skills and limits everything,” he says.
Under Sheriff Rogers’s leadership, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office has been quite visible in the communities it serves. In addition to Greensboro and High Point, his department also serves Jamestown, Oak Ridge, Gibsonville, Pleasant Garden, Sedalia, Stokesdale, Summerfield, Julian, and Whitsett.
“Our goal is to bring the state of Guilford County to the citizens from the perspective of the Sheriff’s office,” Sheriff Rogers says. “We utilize the personnel of our office, which includes our School Resource Officers, Special Enforcement Teams, Drug Interdiction Teams, Gang Task Force, and Street Crime Teams. We also work with other organizations and departments to counter criminals and stop crime, not only in Guilford County but throughout other neighboring counties,” he says.
Sheriff Rogers is aware that many of the offenders that his department locks up will one day return to his community. He points out the reentry program that is in place for them: “These people must have a strong support team. Our reentry program is designed to assist them with housing, jobs, and transportation, all of which will help them become successful, contributing citizens to their community.”
As the first Black Sheriff of Guilford County, Sheriff Rogers has faced and experienced some adversity. He admits that he has been called names that don’t match the ones given to him at birth, and still, he remains resilient and humble. “Staying humble is the key to this job,” he says. “I have been told that I am the highest-ranking elected official in the county. You are the most powerful individual in the county. I beg to differ. The people are. I learned as a little boy to be wise about who I trust and how I trust others. As I come up through the office of the Sheriff, I have found that to be as real today as it was when I learned it when I was a little boy. I still treat everyone the same, and I strive every day to live a life that is pleasing to God. I ask God every day to forgive me and provide me with directions on what to do. I am at peace with where I am in life. If I say that God is in control, then my actions must reflect that trust.”
As Sheriff, Danny Rogers has implemented various programs that are designed to connect his department with the Guilford County community. These are The Senior Academy, The Youth Academy, and The Citizens Academy, as well as The Citizens Round Table and The Junior Explorer Program. “These programs are dear to my heart. We’ve seen the youth coming through the academy and the explorer program and then go off to college or serve in the military. It makes me feel really good when I see them come back home and share how their experience with our department has impacted their lives. It’s an honor to see this,” he says.
Sheriff Rogers also reflects on an encounter he had in his office recently with a young male member of his community. The young man needed his fingerprints taken. “I asked him why he needed his fingers printed,” Sheriff Rogers says. “He told me, and I let him know that I was a young male once before. I told him that I wasn’t concerned about his past and that he should focus on his future. I told him to be wise about his surroundings and join The Explorers Program at his local Sheriff’s Office. He will be alright.” Encounters such as these happen on a regular basis for Sheriff Rogers, and he takes pleasure in steering young citizens in the right direction.
Some great and exciting things are happening within the Sheriff’s Office. With the construction of the new jail that opened in 2012, plans were enacted to construct new administration offices for the department. The current operation, which is located at 400 West Washinton Street, will be moved into a newly erected building on Eugene Street. The new administrative building will consist of offices of the Sheriff and the Executive Command Staff. Several divisions will be in this building and will include Professional Standards, Resources Management, Personnel and Training, Community Resource, Legal Process, and Real Time Crime Center.
Looking ahead, Sheriff Rogers says he plans to continue seeking God for direction and keeping the citizens of Guilford County first. “I meet with my department leaders every week, and I pray over them and their families,” he says. The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is an equal opportunity employer, and Sheriff Rogers encourages everyone who is qualified and interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement to apply.
