Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie is running for re-election as sheriff of Effingham County.

McDuffie, who has been sheriff since 2002, announced his intention to seek a third full term in office.

"We’ve got some things we want to work on and improve on," McDuffie said.

Qualifying for county elected offices begins May 23 at 9 a.m. and ends May 25 at noon.

"We’ve been able to implement some good programs that I think have projected us into the new millennium," McDuffie said. "I’m proud of what we’ve done, what we’ve been able to accomplish. I hear people say all the time what a good job we’re doing on drugs. But it’s not us."

McDuffie said it takes an effective anti-drug squad and the assistance of the citizens in combating drugs. The sheriff, who was appointed to the office in July 2002 and won a special election in November 2002, said the help of the public in pointing out suspected drug dealers is crucial.

"First of all, you have to have a proactive drug unit that wants to get out and do something," he said. "The second thing you’ve got to have are citizens who are willing to step up to the plate and say, ‘I’ve had enough of thisand I want something done about it.’ When you have a proactive team and a neighborhood that’s tired of it, you can do some good stuff. And that’s where we’re at. We’ve been able to do that with the help of the citizenry of this county, that’s willing to let us know what’s going on.

"People knew we had a drug problem in this county; they wanted to know if we were going to do something about it," he continued. "And that’s what we’ve done."

McDuffie also said the establishment of the traffic enforcement unit has been a benefit. He said he isn’t looking for that four-man team to write "a bunch of tickets," but he’s hoping it will make the county’s roads safer.

"But we’re killing our people left and right on the highways," he said. "We’ve got to do something about it. It scares me to know we have young people out there driving the way they drive on our roads."

The sheriff also said seat belt usage has fallen off, and he wants to see that increased.

"We have to start enforcing that," he said. "Our alcohol-related injuries were down dramatically, but those are starting to pick back up."