Brian Chism sworn in as Brunswick County sheriff

BOLIVIA, N.C. (WECT) - Applause broke out in Brunswick County after Brian Chism swore in and traded his chief deputy badge for one that says “Sheriff.”

“I was very humbled at the crowd we saw here today,” said Sheriff Brian Chism. “I know everybody’s going to have ideas and I want to definitely listen to that because I want to be approachable. That’s very important, that everybody gets a chance to get in front of me and I get to talk one-on-one with them.”

As excited as Chism was though, one person who may have been more excited to see him take this next step in his career was a man who watched him grow up.

“Brian was one of my little league baseball players,” said Wesley Brown, Jr. “His dad coached with me, his mom was a team mom and they are just great people. When I see Brian now, he’s still just a great kid.”

Of course, Chism is no longer a kid, but the sheriff of Brunswick County, a job Brown says he richly deserves.

“I think Brian is the kind of person that listens and is able to talk to people, is willing to understand,” said Brown.

That’s why Brown had to join the crowd to show Chism his support.

“[I am] very thankful they all came out to support us and the sheriff’s office as a whole,” said Chism. “Hopefully, they see a lot of good things coming and that’s our goal right now, is to make small tweaks to what is already a great agency.”

Chism will serve the remainder of the current term, which runs through 2026.

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