Interim sheriff looks to make the most of appointment
Russell Moody
Robbinsville – Russell Moody watched from afar as confidence in the Graham County Sheriff's Office deteriorated.
It's no secret that the position is a hot-button topic around the community. Residents have demanded more transparency and are still reeling from the widespread fallout caused by the removal of former sheriff Brad Hoxit on Jan. 29.
After being elected to the role and serving from 2006-09, Moody was assigned the task of filling out the remainder of Hoxit's term by the Graham County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 24. He has already implemented staffing changes and ordered a new fleet of vehicles, but one move he made has received positive remarks: he opened the front door.
Previously, visitors could walk in to the office at 300 Rodney Orr Bypass – but had to press a button and wait for the inner door to be opened by someone inside. Now, the door is propped open during normal business hours.
"That's the best thing I've done," Moody said. "I've gotten more compliments on the fact that you can walk into the sheriff's office again. There's been more people tickled over that than anything."
Moody has received a groundswell of support since accepting the post, which led to interest in writing Moody's name on the ballot as a late addition following the primary. Signatures were collected and Moody filed the petition to be wrote in May 4.
Only registered voters in Graham County could sign the petition, which is now being verified by the Graham County Board of Elections.
The announcement drew both praise and criticism, but Moody said it was never his original plan.
"Teresa (Russell's wife) and I prayed about it, and we just didn't have any peace about it," the 53-year-old Moody said about not filing to run in the March primary. "That was likely the last time I would have ran. I didn't know if my heart would be in it or not.
"We put it behind us, but one morning, someone sent me the affidavit: State (of North Carolina) v. Brad Hoxit. I read over it and thought, 'This is worse than I had heard.'
"The first thing I did after reading it was pray for everyone involved. None of us are perfect; everybody makes mistakes. I kept praying on the way to work and said, 'Lord, I'm nobody, but if somehow you can use me in all this, I'd be willing to do that.'"
Moody said roughly 30 minutes later, the phone rang. It was a local resident, stating that they had spoken with a couple of county commissioners and asked if Moody would be willing to serve out the remainder of the term. Two weeks passed before he was contacted – by then, the wheels were in motion.
"I knew the commissioners wanted to be fair and didn't want somebody that's on the ballot," said Moody. "When they asked me if I was going to run, I told them I was only comfortable filling in for the term – unless the Lord intervenes."
Moody addressed the challenges faced since he stepped in – which started when he and former chief deputy Travis Brooks almost got into a physical altercation during Moody's official swearing-in ceremony.
"I know that wasn't Travis. I think Travis is a good man," Moody said. "I think he was under a lot of stress. We've actually talked since then. I listened to him and he listened to me. We've been friends a long time and I feel like we've restored that relationship."
"It's been hard. It's been a mess, trying to rebuild relationships with different departments in the county – much less, around the state. I'm still trying to learn all the new computer programs.
"Everything has progressed – but for the better."
Moody said there has been an added emphasis placed on resolving outstanding crimes involving sexual misconduct with minors; a restructuring of the narcotics division; ensuring officers return missed calls; and signing Mutual Aid Agreements with surrounding counties, as well as the Cherokee Indian Police Department.
Eight new SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) will be seen patrolling the roads in the next few months, as Moody said he simply looked into the existing lease program with Enterprise and realized many of the current cars were eligible for trade-in.
"It worked out great," said Moody.
* To read Part 1 of this report, visit grahamstar.com; or call 828-479-3383 to subscribe and receive access to our digital archives.