Harnett County hears sheriff candidates’ Q & A

The Harnett County NAACP hosted a Q & A with the sheriff candidates in the Commons Building at the Harnett County Resource Center in Lillington on July 16. The answers revealed that voters have a choice of a 28-year Harnett County law enforcement officer as sheriff, who is over the detention center, Aaron Meredith, or a sheriff with a 48-year career of military policies, diversity experience and accountability protocols who has not worked at the local sheriff’s office, Reginald Watson.

The NAACP supplied the bulk of the questions, with a handful selected from attendees.

The one question not selected was submitted by Sandhills News and it asked how the next sheriff planned to prevent violence against prisoners.

The detention center and sheriff’s department have a history of violations.

The Harnett County Sheriff’s Department exceeded liability insurance payouts with the $6 million lawsuit in 2021 for excessive force. A 2013 wrongful death lawsuit settled for $350,000, and it included a confidentiality agreement. In Dec. 2025, three detention officers were arrested under a NCSBI investigation involving excessive force. A known violent, mentally unstable man was placed in a cell with a prisoner requiring medical checks by detention officers in December 2024, leading to the unstable man beating him to death.

During the Q & A, the host, Jheri Hardaway, and candidate Meredith maintained eye contact over 70% more than with candidate Watson. After the Q & A, the host and Meredith chatted at length.

Introductions

Reginal Watson has 48 years in law enforcement: U.S. Military Police, Spring Lake Police, NC Dept. of Motor Vehicles, Highway Patrol, and Womack Army Hospital.

Aaron Meredith has 28 years in the Harnett County Sheriff’s Department and began with animal control and worked as a school resource officer. He is now over the detention center.

Public Safety

Watson said when leaders are good, people will grow and make the department look better. Wants officers to walk neighborhoods to learn patterns and develop relationships.

Meredith said his duties beyond those required was serving the vulnerable population, youth and seniors with programs. He wants to begin a senior’s well check program. He is over the detention center now, and it is another priority.

Apply Resources Equitably

Watson said he treats all people the same, a military-instilled trait, and will have patrols for all areas.

Meredith said he spent the last 15 years in crime prevention, aka community outreach. “It’s my strong point,” he said about festivals and that he wanted to have events in rural areas, and likes DARE and the Pilot programs in classrooms.

Crisis Calls: Mental Health Approach

Watson said he worked at Womack Army Hospital, the most dangerous place, and had to deescalate patients who were trained to kill in Special Forces and Delta Forces. I brought them down to rational. He plans to train deputies.

Meredith said they did not have mental health workers on site to deal with mental health issues but referred prisoners to resources. The department recently hired a social worker for the detention center.

How to Measure Safety and Transparency

Watson said that no data would be needed to measure results of his leadership because there would be no lawsuits. He learned diversity through his 38 years in law enforcement, in his military and civilian career.

Meredith said that the NCSBI had the crime statistics for the county. He explained how one could manipulate data with using snapshots of crime timelines. He said crime rates depended on where officers and narcotics officers were placed. He said the CIT training, a 40-hour program, helps deputies. He said it would be impossible to mirror the county’s diversity with deputies because they don’t have enough qualified candidates applying.

Deputy Misconduct Accountability

Watson referred to the highway patrol’s policies and procedures. He said some violations resulted in immediate termination.

Meredith said body cameras protect everyone and hold people accountable.

Recruit and Retain Deputies

Watson said his goal to create a positive culture with support for growth opportunities with fairness would improve retention rates.

Meredith said that retention required money and fitness rewards were an incentive. He said he was looking at hiring a full-time recruiter.

Low-Level Crime with Mentally Unstable and Addicts

Watson said doctors determine where mentally unstable and drug-addicted people should be detained, but the first step was to talk them down.

Meredith said sometimes the best place for them was the detention center where they would have food and shelter because the system did not automatically admit them to special services.

Shape Priorities with Agencies

Watson said he welcomed open forums to create trustworthy officers and a safer county.

Meredith said he’d been interviewing for this position for years. He said he had good relationships with volunteers at the food pantry and loved community outreach. He said he did not mind hard conversations.

Vision for Youth Relationships

He said that 15 to 25-year-olds need places to go and mentors to invest in them for a better outlook on life.

Meredith said he will continue what he’s doing, put programs in place and that he excelled in finding people who will help.

Black and Latino Relationships—Measure Success

Watson said he did not have a problem with Blacks. He said that growing up, he had relationships with officers on the streets and they lowered crime rates.

Meredith said it was complex. He said that media indoctrinated people into thinking police were bad with video games and movies. He said they occasionally have incidents, but it was not about what happened but about how they responded.

Platforms

Watson said it was simple. He will uphold the law, support deputies, ensure fairness, professionalism and respect citizens.

Meredith said he was interested in professional development, training and development to advance deputies’ careers. He said it was most important to improve the detention center.

Programs to Prevent Recidivism

Watson plans to bring in clergy to talk to inmates about Jesus Christ.

Meredith said the sheriff’s office does not always have access to juveniles under 16, but the courts supplied mentorship programs.

Mentorship Training

Watson said that when he is in office, he will show through his actions how to mentor youth.

Meredith said there were two types of mentorships, which were when deputies were made aware and other times when they were unaware.

Body Cam Footage

Watson said he could assist only through the channels of the law.

Meredith said the footage was legal evidence, and only when the public spread rumors of negativity about law enforcement would the sheriff petition the courts to release footage before justice was served, because releasing the footage could harm a victim of crime.

Watson’s Website

Meredith’s Website

Harnett County Commissioner Barbara McKoy attended and encouraged all citizens to VOTE!

July 16, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

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