Will Montgomery is seeking the office of Fairfield County Sheriff and will face incumbent Herman Young in the June 10 Democratic Primary.

Montgomery was born and raised in Fairfield County, attended the public school system through the 11th grade and then graduated from Richard Winn Academy. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice from the University of South Carolina.

The candidate has been employed by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office for the past seven years and serves as a supervisor over field training officers.

“I grew up in law enforcement and I?guess you can say it is in my blood,” Montgomery said. “I?have got all the experience in the world. I?will be 31 in August. I have got 31 years of experience. I?have been around it since I was born. It’s just something that I?love to do.”

If he is elected sheriff, Montgomery would like to see the office more involved with the schools.

“We have problems with the schools now and most of the time that is where the crime starts,” he said. “I?would like to educate the students and the teachers also about the crime that is going on. That is where our gangs start. I?don’t think we have a large gang problem in Fairfield County, but it is coming this way and I?would like to be prepared for it, when it gets here.”

The candidate continued that he would like to have at least one officer assigned to gangs on a full - time basis.

“I?have seen gang members as young as 10 years old - in Richland County,” he said. “What they do is recruit the younger guys, because when they get caught all they get is a slap on the hand.”

Montgomery is an advocate of more community - oriented policing in Fairfield County.

“What that is is being in the community,” he said. “That is a collaboration between the community and the sheriff’s department. We have got to work with them and they have to work with us. If there is a gang problem, we want to be able to go talk to somebody in the community and find out what is going on. And we also want to educate them about the problems they are having.”

Montgomery and his wife have been married for three years and are members of First Baptist Church in Winnsboro.