UPDATE: Former Forsyth County Lieutenant Announces Campaign for Sheriff

Update: (Statement from Sheriff Ted Paxton, 11-21-11, 6:30 p.m.)

Duane Piper, a former U.S. Army paratrooper and 25-year veteran law enforcement professional, announced he is a candidate for Forsyth County Sheriff Thursday, Nov. 17, according to a news release.

"I decided to run for sheriff because I believe our citizens deserve a better, more efficiently run sheriff's office, Piper said in a statement. "When I'm elected, I'll stop the reckless spending the sheriff has engaged in during his term in office."

According to the news release, Piper spent the past 16 years as a member of the before retiring in October to campaign full time for sheriff. During his career, he received more than 2,500 hours of continuing law enforcement training, including all three levels of supervision and management training offered by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Council.

Piper cited the reckless spending and fiscal mismanagement he witnessed in the sheriff's office as his motivation for announcing his candidacy.

"The sheriff's budget makes up 41 percent of the county's overall budget," he said. "If we don't get the sheriff's spending under control, our citizens are going to continue to see their property taxes increase year after year."

on Oct. 21, including the Sheriff's Office operating budget for next year which increases by 35.5 percent, and the overall budget by 4.04 percent (see PDF file above for the summary of fiscal year 2012 budget and page 4 of the summary of fiscal year 2011 budget).

If elected, Piper said he will cut the sheriff's office budget by millions of dollars annually during his first year in office while increasing effectiveness and efficiency.

In response, Sheriff Paxton stated in an e-mail to Cumming Patch,

“I will be running for re-election next year. It has been an honor to serve the people of Forsyth County as their Sheriff. Over the past decade, the Sheriff’s Office has been transformed into one of the most respected law enforcement agencies in the State of Georgia.  We have received countless numbers of awards from the National Sheriff’s Association as well as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, MADD, and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. We were initially accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies in 2003, received reaccreditation in 2006 and 2009.

As a matter of fact in 2009 we were named a “Flagship Agency” recognizing us to be in the unique category of the “best of the best.”  The recognition given to our agency over that period of time is unprecedented and demonstrates my commitment to provide the most professional service to this county as is possible. My record stands for itself.

I will respond to the campaign rhetoric of my former employee at the appropriate time.”

Read more about Duane Piper on his Web site.

Read about Sheriff Paxton on the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Web site.

Editor's note: Forsyth County budget from fiscal year 2005-2012 can be found here.