CHAPEL HILL – Last week, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association hosted sheriffs newly elected in November 2022 for the fourth and final week of the Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute in Chapel Hill.

Sheriffs from across the state, including Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin, attended the Institute held at the Rizzo Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

During the week, sheriffs listened to guest speakers, attended training classes and presentations on a variety of topics to help them improve their skills to be an effective sheriff. Topics covered included leadership strategies, personal resiliency, ethics and professionalism, social media, community engagement, school resource officers, courthouse security, and the Statewide Misdemeanant Confinement Program.

At the conclusion of the week, Sheriff Ruffin graduated from the Leadership Institute and earned a diploma for the achievement.

“As a newly elected sheriff, I have been grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with and be mentored by experienced sheriffs and learn from experts in the field during each week of the Institute. I look forward to applying the knowledge I gained as I work every day to keep our community safe,” Sheriff Ruffin stated.

The Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute is held every four years following the election for the Office of Sheriff in North Carolina and is taught in one-week segments over the course of 16 months. The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association has organized the Institute since 2006, and almost every newly elected sheriff in the state since then has attended to receive the valuable training offered by the Association.

Founded in 1922, the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association is a statewide not-for-profit professional and educational organization of our state’s 100 sheriffs. Through their Association, sheriffs work to strengthen the law enforcement profession and services their offices provide to the people of North Carolina.