This week, Emancipate NC traveled to the Bahama Ruritan Club to attend a town hall held by Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead. Despite repeated requests from community leaders to hold public dialogue in central Durham, the Sheriff chose instead to speak in Bahama — a predominantly white, conservative area far from the communities most impacted by his policies.
While Durham residents continue to demand transparency, justice, and real public safety reform, Sheriff Birkhead has distanced himself from the people he once claimed to serve as a “progressive” candidate. His public appearances show a troubling pattern: avoid the Black, working-class communities of central Durham and seek affirmation in spaces more aligned with his increasingly regressive agenda.
At Tuesday’s event, residents questioned the Sheriff about the HEART program and pushed back against his insistence on a co-response model that includes law enforcement — undermining the core principle of unarmed crisis response. In response, Sheriff Birkhead said:
“I am going to stand firm on the co-response model so I can make sure that Durham residents get the premium service that they need.”
But Durham residents disagree. It’s not “premium service” to send armed cops to mental health calls.
“The people of Durham didn’t vote for a sheriff who hides behind closed doors or flees to conservative strongholds for comfort,” said Dedan Waciuri, an organizer with Emancipate NC. They voted for accountability, care, and community investment — not surveillance, secrecy, and solitary confinement. His refusal to meet with the communities most impacted by his policies is not just cowardly — it’s a betrayal of public trust.”
What the people are calling for:
- Fully fund HEART to operate 24/7 — because crises don’t only happen during business hours.
- Expand HEART’s services countywide — including crisis call diversion, community response, and care navigation throughout Durham County.
- Bring HEART to Durham Public Schools — so students receive the same trauma-informed, unarmed care that residents deserve across the city.
The call is clear: Durham needs safety rooted in care, not control. It’s time for the Sheriff and the city to listen.