Donnie Harrison
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Sheriff Donnie Harrison is the current sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina. When he was first sworn in as sheriff on December 2, 2002, Sheriff Harrison became the first certified law enforcement officer to be elected Sheriff of Wake County. Before becoming elected sheriff, Harrison served and retired from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for 26 years. Currently, Sheriff Harrison has been serving the citizens of North Carolina as a law enforcement officer for over 39 years.
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[edit] Election
His re-election campaign in 2006 was mired in controversy as it was released that Donnie Harrison had an affair with a Garner optometrist's wife. Harrison's campaign adviser said "There's no denying there was an affair, but the marriage was doomed before the affair happened. Then suddenly, six days before the election, this appears? That says there's got to be a lot of political motivation behind this."[1]
[edit] Sheriff programs
As sheriff, Harrison has enacted many positive programs including an award winning Special Response Team, drug interdiction unit and traffic enforcement unit specializing in DWI enforcement. Harrison has also added programs which have expanded the K9 unit, helped the elderly with a well check program as well as forming a new gang unit to combat Wake County's growing gang problem. Sheriff Harrison is also known, especially among his deputies and investigators, as being an extremely pro-active sheriff. Sheriff Harrison can always be seen out on patrol with his deputies, responding to calls, working on investigations and going on raids with the SRT unit and drugs and vice unit.
[edit] Personal life
Harrison's wife, Gail, died of lung cancer August 5, 2001, 10 days before the couple's 36th wedding anniversary.[1]
