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longtime lawman eyes top cop spot

Smith has spent 30 years with police, sheriff

By Mike Conley | The McDowell News

Published: November 15, 2009

A veteran law enforcement officer is hoping to become the next sheriff of McDowell County.
C. Rick Smith will run as a Republican candidate for the office. Smith, who is 55, said he has years of experience with both the Marion Police Department and the McDowell County Sheriff's Office.
"I feel with my background, experience and personality I will be the best candidate for sheriff in 2010," said Smith, a resident of the Nebo community.
Smith started his work in law enforcement with the Marion Police Department as an officer from 1974 to 1978. He next worked as a patrol lieutenant under Sheriff Bobby Haynes. In 1984, he became a detective lieutenant and held that job until 1991. At that time, he left the Sheriff's Office and went back to working with the Marion Police Department.
In 1994, Jackie Turner Sr. was elected sheriff. Smith returned to the Sheriff's Office where he became a patrol captain.
But in 2004, Smith accepted a different job in law enforcement and it provided him with an experience unlike any other. He went to Iraq on an international police mission. He worked to train Iraqi police officers in downtown Baghdad and he also worked in internal affairs with the Baghdad police force. He assisted them with conducting interviews, performing search warrants and making arrests.
"It was one more experience," he said of his 15-month mission. "It was really rewarding."
After he completed his work in Iraq, Smith came back to McDowell County and the Sheriff's Office. This time, he worked in the civil and court divisions, which included serving papers and acting as a bailiff in the courtroom.
But Smith was ready to again work in law enforcement in a war-torn country. He got a position with the Civilian Police International in Kosovo, a disputed territory in the Balkans. In this job, he acted as a liaison between the U.S. Army, NATO forces and the local police in Kosovo. He spent 21 months there.
"The biggest problem was being away from home and family," he said of the overseas experiences.
Smith returned home in September of last year. He now works in loss prevention for the Wal-Mart store in Marion.
Smith is hoping to be elected sheriff in 2010. He will hold a meet-and-greet on Saturday at the Marion Community Building from 1 to 6 p.m. It will feature free barbecue and chicken, along with live entertainment.
"I have been in local law enforcement in McDowell County for 30 years," he said. "I've worked for two former sheriffs. I've helped the citizens in my career. I would want to be a sheriff that the citizens of McDowell County could trust."
If elected, Smith said he would strive to keep the department up-to-date and maintain an open-door policy.
"I would want to keep McDowell County a safe place for people to raise their children," he said.
Smith and his wife, Cindy, have two daughters, a grandson and two granddaughters. He belongs to the Masonic Lodge No. 237 and Clinchfield United Methodist Church.