{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Banks Hinceman","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Robert Banks Hinceman\u202fJr. is the incumbent Sheriff of Burke County, North Carolina, and is seeking re\u2011election as the Republican candidate for the 2026 Burke County Sheriff race. In North Carolina, the sheriff serves as the elected chief law\u2011enforcement officer for the county, responsible for responding to public safety calls, overseeing the sheriff\u2019s office, and managing county\u2011wide policing initiatives, as illustrated by Hinceman\u2019s handling of overdose and drug\u2011related calls in his jurisdiction [9].\n\nHinceman\u2019s public record shows a focus on using civil legal tools to address persistent property\u2011related crime. After a surge in calls about overdoses, drugs, and other criminal activity on U.S.\u202f64, he worked with Alcohol Law Enforcement special agents to label a problematic site a \u201cnuisance property,\u201d a designation that allows the county to pursue civil nuisance abatement actions under North Carolina law [9]. In March\u202f2025, the county filed a civil nuisance abatement lawsuit against the property\u2019s owner, Steven\u202fCrockford, ultimately securing a deed transfer to Crockford\u2019s sister and daughter and prohibiting non\u2011residents from the premises [9].\n\nThe sheriff\u2019s office has also employed traditional law\u2011enforcement tactics alongside civil measures. In February\u202f2025, the Burke County Sheriff\u2019s Office deployed its SWAT team to execute a search warrant at the same U.S.\u202f64 location, resulting in the arrest of more than 20 individuals inside the residence and adjacent structures [9]. In October of that year, a follow\u2011up operation led to ten additional arrests for trespassing, based on the earlier civil nuisance ruling [9]. Hinceman emphasized that civil nuisance abatement is a \u201clast resort\u201d and is used only when repeated attempts to resolve a problem through cooperation with property owners have failed [9].\n\nAccording to the official Burke County staff directory, Hinceman holds the title of Sheriff and can be reached at the county office phone number 828\u2011438\u20115500 [11]. The directory also provides a portrait labeled \u201cPhoto of Sheriff Robert Banks,\u201d confirming his visual identification as the county\u2019s elected law\u2011enforcement leader [11].\n\nHinceman\u2019s recent actions illustrate a dual strategy: leveraging civil court mechanisms to compel property owners to address chronic criminal activity while maintaining traditional policing responses when necessary. He has stated that these combined approaches have not led to an increase in crime in the targeted area and that the department continues to monitor the situation through calls and emails from residents [9].\n\n## Sources\n- [9] [Burke Sheriff turns to civil law to curb crime | Courts and Crime | The Paper](https://www.thepaper.media/courts_crime/burke-sheriff-turns-to-civil-law-to-curb-crime/article_7cbde3e3-21b0-499e-a32e-c9e19d015dad.html)\n- [11] [Staff Directory \u2022 Robert Hinceman](https://www.burkenc.org/directory.aspx?EID=99)","firstname":"Robert","lastname":"Hinceman","middlename":"Banks","suffix":"JR","token":"8bf804ece639f21b"},"token":"D-whewFErUN13QO3"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"sheriff","o.office":"county_sheriff","office":"county_sheriff","officedescription":"The sheriff is the county's chief law-enforcement officer. The office operates the county jail, provides court security, serves civil process and executes warrants, and provides patrol and investigation \u2014 a large operational command with a substantial budget.","officequalities":"- Organizational leadership of a sheriff's office spanning patrol, investigations, court services, and the county jail.\n- Oversight of the county jail, including intake, inmate health, and release procedures.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law, court process, and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.\n- Ability to develop and oversee the office's operating budget with public accountability.\n- Coordination with municipal police departments and neighboring-county and state agencies.\n- A documented law-enforcement or public-safety background.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Sheriff","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Burke County Sheriff"}