Lexington County sheriff candidates speak ahead of South Carolina primaries

LEXINGTON, S.C. (WIS) – Jay Koon, the current Lexington County sheriff, is facing two challengers for the June 11 primaries. They’re both retired cops who plan to come out of retirement if elected.

Koon has been sheriff for over nine years, having begun his law enforcement career in 1993.

He said he has focused heavily on turning the department around after his predecessor was indicted and removed from office.

“With everything going on, not only did we hold the line, crime is down,” said Koon. “And I think the simple question to the voters [is] ‘Are we better than we were nine years ago?’ And if you were here, then I think the obvious answer is yes.”

However, challenger Billy Warren said the reason crime is down is because incidents are not being reported and officers are not being dispatched. 

Warren began his law enforcement career in 1985 with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and then went on to the South Carolina Highway Patrol before retiring after 23 years in 2017. Warren told WIS News 10 a part of the reason deputies are not being dispatched to calls is due to staffing shortages.

“They say crime is down. You can’t say that when you aren’t answering all the calls. That is inaccurate data that skewed numbers. I’ve had so many people tell me ‘Mr. Warren, they never showed up.’ So, you can’t report crime is down if you aren’t showing up,” said Warren.

Koon argued the staffing shortage is due in part to the pandemic and civil unrest in 2020, but he said staffing has improved during his current term.

Meanwhile, challenger Alan Driggers told WIS News 10 it’s been a problem long before the pandemic.

Driggers is no rookie in law enforcement, having served over 24 years. Driggers worked alongside Koon until his retirement as lieutenant in 2020.

“They need help, and I think there are a lot of people that know that, but there just wasn’t anyone talking about it,” said Driggers. “Even if all the current positions that are vacant are filled, the sheriff’s department is still understaffed for a county our size.”

When it comes to the the needs and issues each candidate believes the county has, the staffing shortage is one all three candidates agree on.

However, Warren told WIS News 10 the biggest issue is leadership.

“That’s unacceptable, so I’m stepping out of retirement to fix this,” said Warren. “It’s just a leadership thing. Many people say ‘What are you going to do when you get elected?’ Just vote me in. That’s all that this is about, a leadership issue. It’s nothing other than that.”

Driggers said one big goal for him if he’s elected is retention of first responders.

“A key aspect of that is the health insurance plan that the county currently has. In my opinion, it’s just not as competitive as what most of the other agencies in South Carolina utilize,” said Driggers.

Koon’s goals, should he be reelected for his third term, include staffing, recruitment and retainment, new facilities, and an addition to the county detention center.

“We are going to have to decide how we are going to add on to a 50-year-old detention center that desperately needs it. And it’s not going to be an easy lift, but we need to do it. We are going to be looking at strategies and the best way to do that and accomplish that mission,” said Koon.

Sheriff Koon has picked up endorsements from Governor Henry McMaster and Attorney General Alan Wilson while Warren has the endorsement of Lexington County’s Republican party.

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