Moncks Corner, S.C. – With the launch of RickOllic.com today, Berkeley County Chief Deputy Sheriff Rick Ollic announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination for Berkeley County Sheriff in the upcoming special election.
“The path to a safer Berkeley County is ensuring we work together not apart,” said Ollic. “Experience and knowledge of the daily operations is key to leading the Sheriff’s Office from Day One, protecting our communities, making our streets safer and working together with the county government and the community to get the job done.”
Ollic has spent a lifetime protecting the citizens of Berkeley County, first as a volunteer firefighter in high school and then as a Berkeley County Sheriff’s Deputy for more than the past 25 years. Prior to serving as Chief Deputy, Ollic commanded for the Investigative Division for 15 years and later was a major in charge of the Department’s operations.
“Having already raised $25,000 in just a few short days, I am humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support I have received already. From business leaders to teachers, from pastors to other community leaders – many Berkeley County residents appreciate the service I have given them in the past and believe my ‘Better Together’ plan will improve our county’s quality of life,” Ollic said.
Ollic served as interim sheriff for two weeks, until Governor Nikki Haley appointed former Berkeley County Chief Deputy Butch Henerey, Ollic’s predecessor, yesterday as sheriff through the special election.
“With the Sheriff’s Office in the capable hands of Sheriff Henerey, I now feel comfortable to not only announce my candidacy for sheriff but also begin actively campaigning and spreading the word about my vision for a safer Berkeley County,” said Ollic.
During his service as interim sheriff, Ollic started to implement his “Better Together Plan,” beginning with his Cops in Communities Program. Ollic’s Cops in Communities Program established substations in communities across Berkeley County to place sheriff deputies closer to the residents and reduce response times to incidents.
In addition to the Cops in Communities Program, RickOllic.com also shares additional issues Ollic wants to address as sheriff:
- Protecting Berkeley County’s children by continuing and prioritizing an Internet Crimes Against Children program and task force the county runs in coordination with the state’s attorney general office;
- Simplifying the command structure of the office to maximize the talents of the command staff, create a better process for law enforcement and put more deputies on the streets and less pushing paper at headquarters;
- Retaining good deputies by continuing his recently launched “High School Sheriff Shadow Program” that introduces the next generation to exactly what the sheriff’s department does, building an enthusiastic pool of individuals willing to serve and protect, cutting down on the number of vacant positions within the department, and continue working with County Council and county government to secure the necessary funding for better equipment and competitive officer salaries.
