Mickey Tillman for Sheriff of Craven County

Mickey Tillman for Sheriff of Craven County Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Mickey Tillman for Sheriff of Craven County, Political organisation, New Bern, NC.

09/07/2026

Nothing political. No public safety announcements. No history lessons. Just simply wishing everyone a relaxing Labor Day!

WAITING ON A CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT?I’ve heard from quite a few people lately who are frustrated with how long they have...
09/06/2026

WAITING ON A CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT?

I’ve heard from quite a few people lately who are frustrated with how long they have been waiting on concealed carry permits and renewals in Craven County.

Some are waiting four or five months.

And I know somebody will say, “Well, I got mine back in no time.”

I’m glad you did. That’s how it should work for everyone.

But the fact that some people received theirs quickly doesn’t erase the fact that others have waited four or five months. That kind of difference deserves an explanation.

I’ve heard the explanations being given. Mental health checks are holding things up. The state is holding things up. The permit cards haven’t been printed.

At some point, though, somebody has to take responsibility for finding out where the delay actually is.

North Carolina law puts time requirements on this process for a reason. The Sheriff’s Office is required to request the necessary mental health records within 10 days of receiving the required application materials. Once the required records are received, the sheriff has 45 days to issue or deny the permit.

And these timeframes matter for more than customer service. When delays involving a constitutional right stretch on for months, they can raise serious legal questions. North Carolina has already seen litigation alleging that excessive concealed carry permit delays infringed on Second Amendment rights.

Whether a particular delay rises to that level depends on the facts, but it’s another reason these applications shouldn’t simply sit without answers.

I also know there is a lot of discussion right now about constitutional carry. That’s a separate issue for the General Assembly. Unless and until North Carolina law changes, the Sheriff’s Office still has a responsibility to process concealed carry permits under the law we have today.

For renewals, there is something else people should know. If you properly apply for your renewal during the 90 days before your permit expires and remain qualified, North Carolina law says your existing permit remains valid until you receive your renewed permit or the renewal is denied.

That’s important information, and people shouldn’t have to wonder about it.

I’m bringing this up because people have reached out with a legitimate concern, and it deserves to be addressed. When something isn’t working the way it should, we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it and ask why.

If everything is running smoothly for you, that’s great. But when people in this county are waiting four and five months and asking questions, they deserve to know that somebody hears them.

They deserve an explanation when something isn’t working.

You don’t have to make a big production out of fixing something.

Listen. Find out what’s wrong. Fix it. And keep people informed.

That’s what public service is supposed to look like. It’s how it should be done, and it’s how it will be done.

- Mickey Tillman
Candidate for Sheriff of Craven County

⭐️It’s that time again… ⭐️From humble beginnings…These pictures go back to the early days of the Craven County Sheriff’...
09/03/2026

⭐️It’s that time again… ⭐️

From humble beginnings…

These pictures go back to the early days of the Craven County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team. I had the honor of being one of the founding members.

We started as a group of deputies willing to train harder and take on situations that required a little more than the everyday call.

We fussed. We argued. We laughed and picked on each other probably more than we should have. We trained hard, and we were hard on each other.

But when the call came, all of that stopped.

We came together and handled business.

We executed high-risk arrest and search warrants, dealt with barricaded subjects, assisted with dignitary protection, and handled other situations where a specially trained team was needed.

We were held to higher standards with our fi****ms qualifications and training. We trained with other local, state, and federal agencies because when several agencies come together on an operation, that isn’t the time to figure out how to work together.

You do that beforehand.

One thing that makes these pictures especially meaningful to me is the patch. I designed and drew the original SRT patch when the team was formed.

For much of my time on the team, I carried the shield. That usually meant being up front when we went through the door and being one of the last ones out.

You learn pretty quickly in that position what trust really means.

I trusted the men behind me, and they trusted me.

Later, I had the privilege of serving as Team Leader. I never looked at that as being more important than anybody else on the team. It just meant I carried a little more responsibility. When things went right, the team deserved the credit. When they didn’t, that responsibility belonged to me.

Looking at these old pictures brings back a lot of memories. Some good. Some not so good.

But mostly, I remember the men.

We were different personalities from different backgrounds. We didn’t always agree. We certainly didn’t always get along.

But when it mattered, we trusted each other.

A group of men.
A team.
A band of brothers.

Craven County’s first SRT.

I’m proud to have been one of them.

- Mickey Tillman
Candidate for Craven County Sheriff

💜September is National Recovery Month, a time to recognize people in recovery from substance use and mental health chall...
09/01/2026

💜September is National Recovery Month, a time to recognize people in recovery from substance use and mental health challenges.

I have seen both up close. But addiction, in particular, has touched both my professional and personal life.

As someone who has spent more than 30 years on the front lines as a first responder, both as a law enforcement officer and firefighter, I have seen the devastating impact of addiction firsthand.

I have responded to overdoses. I have stood beside people on the edge of death. I have brought people back when addiction had taken them to places they never intended to go.

It was part of my job. It was what I was trained to do. I responded to the call, did everything to save those I could and I prayed for those I couldn’t, and then I went on to the next one.

Until it became personal.

Alcohol. Drugs. Prescription pills. Mental health crises. I have watched friends and family members struggle with all of them. I watched some fight their way toward recovery, and I watched others lose that battle.

That changes you.

The truth is, we don’t always know the when, why, or how someone’s substance use began. It may have started with a prescription following an injury. It may have started with underage drinking or experimenting in school. It may have been peer pressure, trauma, pain, or simply a moment that turned into something far more difficult to escape.

Whatever the beginning, we cannot allow someone’s worst moments to define their entire life.

Recovery is hard. Life can be hard at times. For those fighting addiction, every day can be a battle.

But to those who are in recovery, I want you to hear this…

Please don’t give up.

You know where you’ve been. You know what you’ve survived. You know how hard it was to get here.

Keep moving forward.

As a first responder, I spent decades fighting to keep people alive.

Today, during National Recovery Month, I want to remind those still fighting that their lives are worth fighting for, not just in an ambulance, at the scene of an emergency, or after an overdose, but every single day afterward.

Recovery is not weakness. Asking for help is not weakness. Choosing to keep going is strength.

To everyone in recovery: I see you. I respect you. I stand with you. And I believe your story is still being written.

Keep fighting. Keep moving forward. You are worth the fight. 💜

These are only a few pictures from cases I worked over the years. Each one has a story behind it.Drug cases can start i...
08/27/2026



These are only a few pictures from cases I worked over the years. Each one has a story behind it.

Drug cases can start in all kinds of ways. It might be a traffic stop, a tip, something noticed on patrol, or an investigation that takes time to put together. However it starts, it takes training, experience, patience, and paying attention to the little things. It means asking the right questions and recognizing when something doesn’t add up. That’s what led to the seizures in these pictures.

Proper interdiction training is a big part of that, especially during traffic stops. It teaches you what to look for, what questions to ask, and when the details just don’t add up. It also teaches you to respect constitutional rights and follow the law at every step. An arrest is only the beginning. The stop, search, seizure, arrest, and paperwork all have to be handled correctly so the evidence holds up in court and the case can lead to a conviction.

Along the way, I learned there is a big difference between someone caught up in addiction and someone making money selling and moving drugs. Both have to be dealt with, but not in the same way.

Someone struggling with addiction still has to be held accountable, but arrest alone won’t solve the problem. Treatment and a way out matter too.
A trafficker profiting from that addiction is a different story. That takes focused enforcement and a solid case.

Knowing the difference is part of doing the job right.

When people think about the Sheriff’s Office, I don’t want the first thing that comes to mind to be traffic stops or see...
08/25/2026

When people think about the Sheriff’s Office, I don’t want the first thing that comes to mind to be traffic stops or seeing a deputy only after something has already happened.

I want people to know the deputies serving their communities.

I want deputies to know the business owners, the neighborhoods, the families, and the young people in the areas they patrol. I want them to know what normally goes on in those communities so they recognize when something doesn’t look right.

That means getting out of the car. Showing up at community events. Talking to people. Spending time in our neighborhoods. Building relationships before there’s a problem.

That’s what proactive policing means to me.

The Sheriff’s Office shouldn’t be distant from the people it serves, and it shouldn’t be selective about who it serves. Every community in Craven County deserves to know that their Sheriff’s Office is there for them.

I want deputies to be visible, approachable, and involved throughout this county, not just driving from one call to the next.

Because those relationships matter.

When people know and trust their deputies, they’re more likely to pick up the phone when they see something. They’re more likely to share information. And sometimes that information gives law enforcement the opportunity to stop something before it happens instead of showing up afterward.

Being a deputy is about more than wearing a badge.

It’s about knowing the people and the communities you swore to protect.

-Mickey Tillman

Candidate for Craven County Sheriff

For most of our kids, tomorrow is the first day of school. Some have already started.The usual back-to-school safety rem...
08/23/2026

For most of our kids, tomorrow is the first day of school. Some have already started.

The usual back-to-school safety reminders are important, and I’ve included them below. But there’s another side of going back to school that we don’t talk about nearly as much, and I think it deserves just as much attention.

The first day of school can bring a lot of anxiety for a child, especially when they’re starting a new school or moving into a new grade. Sometimes that anxiety doesn’t look like worry. It can show up as a headache, nausea, an upset stomach, or even vomiting. Never dismiss a child actually being sick, but remember that sometimes their body is expressing what they don’t know how to put into words.

Keep the lines of communication open. I know work, dinner, and just everyday life can get in the way, but take a little time every day to ask how their day went and really listen. Put the phone down. Look them in the eyes.

Encourage them to do THEIR best, not somebody else’s best. Tell them you believe in them. Tell them you’re proud of them. And most importantly, tell them you love them.

Teach them to be kind, too. Not every child walking through those doors tomorrow was able to start the year with new clothes, new shoes, or all the school supplies they wanted. A little kindness can mean more than they realize.

And one last thing. If you’ve never read Psalm 91 in the Bible, or it’s been a while, take a few minutes tonight and read it. It is a prayer of protection. Pray it over your children, all the other children, our schools, our teachers, staff, and our School Resource Officers.

Take care of them, listen to them, encourage them, pray for them, and remind them to look out for each other.

- Mickey Tillman
Candidate for Craven County Sheriff

Throwback ThursdayThat’s me on the right during a week-long fugitive manhunt training course taught by the Black Duck Co...
08/20/2026

Throwback Thursday

That’s me on the right during a week-long fugitive manhunt training course taught by the Black Duck Corporation here in Craven County.

This training focused on tracking and locating fugitives through wooded terrain, working with bloodhounds, and learning how to search effectively when someone runs into an area where roads and patrol cars can’t take you.

Looking back, this was some pretty specialized training. Searching wooded areas, tracking fugitives and working with bloodhounds isn’t something you learn sitting behind a desk. You learn it by getting out there and doing it.

You may go years without needing some of that training. But when the day comes that you do need it, that’s not the time to be figuring it out.

Some things shouldn’t need a lot of explaining.Taxpayer money is not your personal checkbook.If you can’t comfortably ex...
08/18/2026

Some things shouldn’t need a lot of explaining.

Taxpayer money is not your personal checkbook.

If you can’t comfortably explain a purchase to the taxpayers who paid for it, maybe it’s a purchase you shouldn’t be making.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s $20 or $20,000.

It’s not your money.

Yes, I see “Spot Light for Patrol Boat” written on the receipt. Now look at the shipping address.

County purchase. Private residence.
You decide. Ask yourself why.

Sometimes accountability really is that simple.

* For clarity, nothing private is being uncovered here. This is an unaltered public record, and the address is publicly available through Craven County GIS. The address is public. Why the purchase was shipped there is the question.

It’s International Cat Day! 🐾I may be running for Sheriff, but around our house, this one has already taken charge.Keeps...
08/08/2026

It’s International Cat Day! 🐾

I may be running for Sheriff, but around our house, this one has already taken charge.

Keeps an eye on everything, expects meals on time, and isn’t afraid to voice a complaint. 😂

Happy International Cat Day from our family to yours!

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New Bern, NC

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