Ousted Durham police chief, retiring FBI agent to run for Durham County sheriff

Virginia Bridges
·3 min read

Two of the candidates hoping to challenge Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead in the 2022 election include a former Durham police chief and a retiring FBI agent.

Nearly six years ago, then Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez was forced to retire after years of strained relationships with residents pushing for reforms and police transparency, and rising crime, which continued after his eight-year tenure.

Lopez has confirmed to The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun that he will run for sheriff as an independent.

The filing period for candidates stared at noon Monday.

“I am unhappy about the degree of violence — the fact that nothing is quieting down, Lopez said.

Before coming to Durham, Lopez spent nearly 23 years in Hartford, Connecticut, where he rose through the ranks to become assistant police chief.

Former Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez said he plans to run for Durham County sheriff in 2022.
Former Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez said he plans to run for Durham County sheriff in 2022.

FBI agent joining race for sheriff

Maria Jocys, a special agent with the FBI, also confirmed she plans to run as an independent but declined to comment further for now.

Jocys has been a special agent since 1997, according to court documents from cases she’s worked on, including the federal investigation into the men convicted of the fatal robbery of Durham restaurant owner Hong Zheng. She worked as a Greenville police officer for eight years before joining the bureau.

From 2007 to 2016, Jocys was a supervisory special agent to the Raleigh-Durham Joint Terrorism Task Force, overseeing investigations involving domestic and international terrorism.

Since February 2016, Jocys was assigned as a special agent on the Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force, which works with local and state law enforcement agencies investigating violent street gangs and drug distribution.

The process for the independent candidates includes gathering signatures form 4% of registered voters by the March 8 primary in order to be on the November general election ballot alongside the winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries.

2018 Durham County sheriff race

Birkhead received nearly 70% of the vote in the May 2018 Democratic primary, which essentially decided the Durham race.

He is the first African American sheriff in Durham County, and he promised to address community concerns about the previous administration by not cooperating with federal immigration officials, addressing problems at the jail and treating inmates with dignity.

Birkhead, a former police chief at Duke University and Hillsborough who was a driver’s license examiner when he was elected, had unsuccessfully run for sheriff twice before.

He defeated incumbent Mike Andrews in 2018 after winning three endorsements from key Durham political action committees. Two of those three endorsement switched to Birkhead as Andrews pledged to continue to cooperate with federal immigration officials’ requests to hold people in jail who are in the country illegally.

Andrews also faced criticism about suicide hazards in the jail.

What does the Durham County sheriff do?

The sheriff makes an annual salary of $167,017. The Sheriff’s Office polices unincorporated sections of Durham County, along with running the jail, overseeing courthouse security, serving warrants and other duties. The Sheriff’s Office has 491 employees and a nearly $40.4 million budget.

The Durham Report

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