Disclaimer:  This is a fact-based report on local Sheriff Doug Doughtie of Dare County, NC. This report is not an endorsement in upcoming elections; Blackwater Reports remains impartial. The writer has met, interacted with, and listened to Sheriff Doughtie speak on many occasions, lending to a first-hand account.

A chance meeting

I first met Sheriff Doug Doughtie around 2011 at a Christian Men’s Fellowship on the Outer Banks. Even if Doug weren’t the Sheriff of some of America’s favorite beach towns, he would still be an imposing figure. I have listened to him testify about his Christian faith, family, community, and protecting the people who live and visit his area of responsibility. 

Get out the ironing board 

Last week, I worked with Doughtie and his Chief Deputy, Jeff Deringer, on access to public records from the Sheriff’s Office. Sometimes, we encounter hiccups in first contact with government agencies. He picked up the phone and contacted me in true Doug form, as did Deringer. We quickly ironed out the wrinkles, and it’s much appreciated.

A short retirement

While looking for a photo of Doughtie for a separate post, I read his biography on the Sheriff’s website. His online biography describes precisely the man you will meet in any chance encounter. Doughtie retired from the Dare County Sheriff’s Office as a Lieutenant in 2006. A resident of Dare since 1989, he decided to give back to the community and was sworn in as Sheriff in 2011.  

A 2011 article in the Island Free Press states, “Doughtie took over the Dare County Sheriff’s Office at a tough time, handicapped by government budget crunches and a disengaged, discouraged citizenry.” By all accounts, he quickly corrected residents’ concerns and restored trust in his office.

Others testify

Men from different religious denominations and churches, from Buxton to Corolla and Moyock on the mainland, attend the Men’s Fellowship on the Outer Banks. The gathering is also attended by men from the Outer Banks Dare Challenge seeking help with life-controlling issues. During the meeting, one of the Dare Challenge men might stand and share their story about battling past problems with drugs, alcohol, and sometimes even incarceration. Occasionally, one of the Dare Challenge men would also mention “Sheriff Doug’s” positive impact on them. Despite his deputies having to arrest them, his wise counsel had made a significant difference in their lives.

Accessible

Doughtie’s 43 years in law enforcement and his humble Christian demeanor qualify him to give counsel and advice on broad topics and issues affecting the human spirit. His biography says, “Citizens should not be satisfied with the status quo,” he seems to deliver on that. Doughtie is involved in youth sports in Dare, his church, and the community. Being an accessible Sheriff isn’t a campaign slogan; he lists his personal cell phone number on his website.

In the era of email, Doughtie has had accounts with nearly every primary provider of its time, from Gmail, Hot mail, and Yahoo mail to frontiernet.net, msn.com, and his official emails in Dare County, Town of Duck, and Kitty Hawk, among others. Aside from making his personal cell phone number known to the public, he can be found coaching football, basketball, and soccer. He may be one of the most approachable Sheriffs you’ll find.

What about Policing

Doughtie is a proponent of community policing and encourages his deputies to get out of their vehicles and interact with the people they serve. Over 37K people call Dare County home, and millions visit annually. CrimeGrade.com ranks Dare County with an overall grade of A and grades violent crime at A-, property crimes at A, and other crimes at A-. We bounced these grades off the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniformed Crime Report (UCR), and they are supported. While looking at crime statistics in Dare, it’s important to remember visitors arrive there from all over the United States and the world. Crime in Dare isn’t always attributable to residents.  

We searched

We were hard-pressed to find anything negative about Doughtie. If anything is negative, it doesn’t seem to have been written yet.