Star Talk

Balancing the demands of law enforcement and mental health is important to the Sheriff’s Office, now led by our Wellness Coordinator, Lt. Anthony Sharp. In this segment, Sheriff Birkhead & Lt. Sharp discuss overall officer wellness, peer support programs, and other in-house initiatives to develop coping skills and achieve the proper work/life balance.

How can we better support and protect the seniors in our community? Sheriff Birkhead is joined by Tory Engram and Ro’Nyka Grizzle of Volunteers for America to shine a light on the PACE Program. Tune in to learn about the comprehensive medical and social services available and get essential insights on how to safeguard seniors from common scams and fraud.

The School Resource Officer (SRO) program at the Durham County Sheriff's Office places deputies on campus to serve as a resource for students, staff, and the school community. These aren't just security guards; they are specially trained deputies who work to build positive relationships with young people. A key part of their role is to act as a bridge between the school and the community. Our SROs collaborate with Durham Public Schools to keep students from entering the court system unnecessarily, often using referrals and other interventions instead of arrests. They are also responsible for ensuring the safety and security of everyone on campus. To prepare for this unique role, our SROs receive specialized training focused on working with young people. This includes de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention, and mental health awareness, all designed to help them mentor and guide students effectively. On this episode, Sheriff Clarence Birkhead speaks with SRO Captain Andre Hinton about the great work DCSO's SROs do.

In this edition, Sheriff Birkhead interviews local attorney Allison Chan to discuss the roles, responsibilities, and boundaries between immigration law and law enforcement.

Durham County Sheriff’s Office Public Relations and Communications Manager David Bowser and Senior Public Information Specialist AnnMarie Breen talk about the Public Information Office, upcoming fall events, and provide information on an uptick in recent phone scams impacting Durham residents.

September’s episode features the Sheriff’s Office and Crisis Intervention Training. DCSO and or partner agencies throughout Durham County participate in the CIT Program. The training our deputies, detention officers, and communicators receive helps them to recognize mental health signs, and symptoms, as well as how to apply de-escalation techniques.

As we reach the 5th Anniversary of the Sheriff’s Medication Assisted Restorative Treatment Program or SMART, Sheriff Birkhead talks about how the first detention center opioid treatment program in the State is helping detainees recover from addiction.   He is joined by the supervisor of the SMART Program Tammy Vaughn and community health worker Ronald Gary as they look back on the program’s start and what’s in store for the future.

Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead and CID Captain Eric Carpenter discuss scams, fraud and propety crime during episode 8 of Star Talk.

This edition of the Durham County Sheriff’s Office podcast ”Star Talk” will discuss community engagement and how our office is connecting with Durham County residents. Sheriff Birkhead is joined by three members of the “Sheriff’s Community Advisory Board”; a voluntary organization created in 2019 to build trust between law enforcement and local neighborhoods.

Sheriff Birkhead and Capt. Kimberly Lane discuss the agency’s training division and recruitment efforts in this episode of Star Talk.  The Durham County Sheriff’s Office is seeking qualified candidates who embody the values and diversity of the Durham County community.  We are now accepting applications for Detention Officer and Deputy Sheriff from individuals who are both certified and non-certified.  If you have any questions please contact the Training Division at (919) 560-0930 or visit our website www.DurhamSheriff.com/Join-The-Team

Sheriff Clarence Birkhead discusses the Durham County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services Division with Captain Mark Manning who oversees its operation.

n this edition of Star Talk, we cover a very important topic as local public schools return to the classroom on August 28! Sheriff Birkhead discusses our School Resource Officer Program with SRO division head Captain Bryce Meyers. Captain Meyers and the Sheriff talk about DCSO’s relationship with Durham Public Schools to keep schools safe and how SROs are a resource for children learning in the classroom.

Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead talks with Chief of Detention Services Johnny Hawkins about detention center operations.

Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead discusses the Durham HEART Program with Director Ryan Smith.   HEART which stands for Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams was launched on June 27th, 2022.  The 3 crisis response pilots aim to connect people experiencing non-violent mental health crises or quality of life concerns with the right care by sending new responses that better match residents’ needs. A fourth pilot launched at the end of September 2022. Our goal with these pilot approaches is to connect our Durham neighbors to the right care — starting from the point at which someone calls 9-1-1, to the warm handoff to those prepared to help meet the needs of our neighbors in crisis.

In this inaugural episode of the Durham County Sheriff's Office podcast "Star Talk", Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead discusses the history of the Office of the Sheriff and the Durham County Sheriff's Office, and the agency's role in the community.