The Ch RON IC EE
Volume45,Number29 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, March 28, 2019
‘What’s right, what’s moral, what’s legal’
Sheriff Kimbrough addresses ICE agreement during community forum
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
To mark his first 100
days in office, on Monday,
March 25, Sheriff Bobby
Kimbrough held an open
forum with the residents of
Forsyth County to discuss
some of the changes he’s
made since taking the oath
of office and to address
any concerns the residents
may have.
A native of Winston-
Salem with more than 30
years of experience in law
enforcement and after de
feating longtime incum
bent Bill Schatzman in
the general election, Kim
brough was sworn in as
the first African-American
sheriff in Forsyth County.
After taking the oath from
Superior Court Judge Todd
Burke, Kimbrough prom
ised voters that while he’s
in office, everyone in For
syth County would have a
voice within the Forsyth
County Sheriff’s Office.
diversity within the de
partment, training, gun
permits, guns in schools,
the local SRO (School Re
source Officer) Program,
or the budget, Kimbrough
and his staff addressed ev
ery question.
“I think as an elected
official, there’s an obli
gation to the people that
vote you in that we come
before you and give you
the chance to put us to the
test and ask difficult ques
tions,” said Kimbrough.
“...You have the right to
know what’s going on in
your sheriff’s office. We
have an obligation to re
port back to you.”
A large portion of the
crowd during the forum
were there to ask ques
tions about the Forsyth-
ICE (Immigration Cus
toms Enforcement) jail
agreement, which allows
U.S. Marshals to use the
Forsyth County Detention
Center to detain immi
grants. Before the forum,
Photos by levin Stinson
Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough shares his thoughts on the agreement with ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement,
that allows U.S. Marshals to use the Forsyth County Detention Center during a recent community forum.
Before the community forum hosted by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, mem
bers of Siembra NC held a press conference asking Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough to
‘uncheck box 18’.
Sheriff Kimbrough
has been on record several
times stating that he plans
to withdraw from the cur
rent agreement with the
U.S. Marshals Service, but
the contract currently in
place, which was signed
by Schatzman, doesn’t end
until next month.
He said on April 30
when the contract is up
for renewal, his team will
have the power to make a
decision on the future of
the agreement, but until
then he has to follow the
contract.
“...There are contrac
tual agreements that I have
to respect because I can’t
cost the county money
based on what I feel or
what I think. My deci
sions are based on what is
right, what is moral, and
what is legal,” continued
Kimbrough. “...We’re
negotiating with the U.S.
Marshals Service because
what you have to realize
is ICE isn’t only immigra
tion, ICE handles human
trafficking, guns, and a
whole slew of things.”
Kimbrough said when
he sits down to restruc
ture the contract, he plans
to make sure they aren’t
housing individuals who
have immigration viola
tions. He noted since mak
ing his views on the For
syth ICE-Jail Agreement
public earlier this year,
the sheriff’s office has not
honored the I-203 form
that orders the detainment
of immigrants.
He said, “...I’m aware
of the box. Believe me,
you have my support. I’m
going to do what’s right,
what’s moral, and what’s
legal.”
On a lighter note,
several residents in at
tendance took the time to
thank Sheriff Kimbrough
for his commitment to the
citizens ofForsyth County.
Community activist Yusef
Suggs congratulated Kim
brough on his victory and
thanked him for his stance
against ICE.
When discussing
the changes within the
FCSO, Sergeant W. Ow
ens, who is also a native
of Winston-Salem, said
Kimbrough has brought
a positive attitude to the
sheriff’s office that wasn’t
there before.
“...The same way he
was here today is the same
way he is with us. He’s
very welcoming, very
open, and very transpar
ent,” said Sgt. Owens. “He
has brought a positive atti
tude to the sheriff’s office.
He’s really changing the
atmosphere.”
During an interview
with The Chronicle, Kim
brough said, “Everybody
in this community we be
lieve should have a voice.
We want to serve all the
community - the north,
the south, the east, and
the west. We believe that
it’s going to take a village
approach of law enforce
ment.”
Staying true to his
word, during the forum
Kimbrough didn’t shy
away from any of the con
cerns raised by residents.
It did not matter if it
was
members of Siembra NC,
a local grassroots Latinx
organization that works to
defend their communities
from ICE detention and
other forms of discrimina
tion and exploitation, held
a press conference to ask
Kimbrough to ‘uncheck
box 18’ of the U.S. Mar
shals Service agreement
that gives ICE access to
the jail.
“We are .asking Sheriff
Bobby Kimbrough to sim
ply change the U.S. Mar
shals’ jail agreement that
is currently standing,” said
Laura Gardufio of Siembra
NC during the press con
ference.
“All he needs to do is
uncheck the box on num
ber 18. We’re asking him
to change it so our im
migrant families can stop
living under the imminent
threat of being separated
by Immigration Customs
Enforcement.”
During a community forum at the Central Library on Monday, March 26 Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough addressed
several concerns from residents. Kimbrough said the forum is just the first of several forums his office plans to
hold throughout the year.
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