Robert Banks Hinceman JR

Robert Banks Hinceman Jr. is the incumbent Sheriff of Burke County, North Carolina, and is seeking re‑election as the Republican candidate for the 2026 Burke County Sheriff race. In North Carolina, the sheriff serves as the elected chief law‑enforcement officer for the county, responsible for responding to public safety calls, overseeing the sheriff’s office, and managing county‑wide policing initiatives, as illustrated by Hinceman’s handling of overdose and drug‑related calls in his jurisdiction [9].

Hinceman’s public record shows a focus on using civil legal tools to address persistent property‑related crime. After a surge in calls about overdoses, drugs, and other criminal activity on U.S. 64, he worked with Alcohol Law Enforcement special agents to label a problematic site a “nuisance property,” a designation that allows the county to pursue civil nuisance abatement actions under North Carolina law [9]. In March 2025, the county filed a civil nuisance abatement lawsuit against the property’s owner, Steven Crockford, ultimately securing a deed transfer to Crockford’s sister and daughter and prohibiting non‑residents from the premises [9].

The sheriff’s office has also employed traditional law‑enforcement tactics alongside civil measures. In February 2025, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office deployed its SWAT team to execute a search warrant at the same U.S. 64 location, resulting in the arrest of more than 20 individuals inside the residence and adjacent structures [9]. In October of that year, a follow‑up operation led to ten additional arrests for trespassing, based on the earlier civil nuisance ruling [9]. Hinceman emphasized that civil nuisance abatement is a “last resort” and is used only when repeated attempts to resolve a problem through cooperation with property owners have failed [9].

According to the official Burke County staff directory, Hinceman holds the title of Sheriff and can be reached at the county office phone number 828‑438‑5500 [11]. The directory also provides a portrait labeled “Photo of Sheriff Robert Banks,” confirming his visual identification as the county’s elected law‑enforcement leader [11].

Hinceman’s 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].

Sources

• [9] Burke Sheriff turns to civil law to curb crime | Courts and Crime | The Paper
• [11] Staff Directory • Robert Hinceman