Alan Ali - For Charleston County Sheriff

By Monica Montgomery

Photos Provided by Alan Ali

You may ask, who is Alan Ali? Well, for starters, he has many titles. He is a son, brother, husband, and father. Another crucial role that Mr. Alan loves and embraces is that of “The People’s Sheriff.”

Alan Ali is a first-generation American born, a testament to the American dream. His parents, Richard and Ann Daly, made the courageous decision to move to America from the Caribbean, a journey that not only shaped Alan’s values but also ignited his unwavering commitment to his community. “My parents were born in the Caribbean, in a little town called Montserrat. In fact, most of my family are from the Caribbean. Barbados, Antigua, and Jamaica,” he says.

Alan Ali’s formative years were spent in the vibrant city of Boston, Massachusetts. Growing up in the Hyde Park neighborhood, he was immersed in the rich tapestry of community life. This upbringing shaped his understanding of local issues and fueled his passion for community service.

He shares, “My parents weren’t public servants. They just served. They served in the church and the community. When we see someone downtrodden or struggling to make it, we all say, ‘That could have been me.’ My parents taught me, ‘That is you! If we are all a part of this human family, that is you.’ That revelation has always stuck with me since childhood. That truth has shaped how I see myself and others. It is a big part of why I worked to treat everyone with respect. Everyone is a part of this human family. Regardless of race, religion, culture, ethnicity, economic background, or sexual orientation, we’re all people. We all want to be loved, appreciated, and valued.”

Alan was an active volunteer in his community as a youth. “Because of the values my parents raised me with, I knew there were things I would and wouldn’t do. As a youth volunteer, I tried to help others like myself avoid the negative influences that were so easy to get caught up in,” Alan explained. “I tried to be a positive model of what we should have been working towards. Mind you, I was a kid myself, but because of what I was taught at home, I recognized the dangers of living in the inner city. I wanted to help the kids in my community by reminding them that they didn’t have to get involved in gangs and drugs or any of the other things that entrap us.”

Alan’s work in his community didn’t go unnoticed. In 1986, he was the first Black person to be awarded the Michael A. Ventresca Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded through UMass Boston to entering freshmen who have demonstrated exceptional concern for others and interest in public service through extracurricular activities and community work. He adds, “I’ve always had a passion for serving others. Serving others is the greatest honor there is. I believe it is not just a purpose but a calling. In fact, there is a quote from Muhammad Ali that says, ‘Service to others is the rent that you pay for having a room here on earth.’”

As an advocate for community service projects, Alan believes serving the community involves more than fulfilling an immediate need. “Don’t get me wrong. I am all for Toys for Tots, the turkey giveaway, or the back-to-school supply rally. The issue is those are just three days. What about the rest of the year? I believe that is what separates me from the next person. I strongly advocate for helping people succeed 365 days a year.”

Mr. Ali graduated from the University of Boston, Massachusetts, with a degree in political science. He makes clear that he never intended to pursue law enforcement. “I tell people all the time that I absolutely had no intention of going into law enforcement,” Ali explains. What happened was that, in 1989, I started watching a then-popular television show called Cops.” It was from that show, and others like it, that sparked Alan’s passion for law enforcement.

With his calling to servanthood focused in a new direction, Alan set his sights on joining the Boston Police Department. “With all this new zest and zeal, after graduating from the University of Massachusetts, I wanted to work for the Boston Police Department. Unfortunately, at that time, it didn’t matter who you were; it was all about who you knew. Since my name wasn’t McMurphy or McDowell, I wasn’t at the top of the list. On top of that, the list had over two hundred applicants, and there were only about five positions,” Ali explained. “But I wasn’t going to let this stop me. I was passionate, and I knew my purpose. I believed I could make a difference. I just needed to find out how.”

Despite making excellent scores on his police exam, the door of the Boston PD still didn’t swing open for Alan. Then, he received word that the Dallas Police Department was hiring. “I didn’t know a soul in Dallas, Texas. All I had was this driving desire to go into law enforcement. Then I remembered something my parents always said. No means Next Opportunity. So, I flew down to Texas. I stayed the week and went through the battery of tests. When I got to the end, they said, ‘We’ll get back to you.’ I flew back to Boston, and two months later, I got the call telling me I had been hired and when to report,” he says.

Armed with his parents’ wisdom and faith in humanity, Alan Ali has served in many communities over the past thirty years to keep the peace.

“You have to meet people where they are,” he explained. “If people only see you when they’ve done something wrong, they will not want to see you. You can’t serve people you don’t know. You won’t know them unless you are intentional about getting to know them. That has been my goal and commitment my entire career. The only way to help people is if they trust you, and you can’t gain their trust without making a genuine connection.”

Ali has retired as a lieutenant from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Department. He plans to use the same approach to become the People’s Sheriff in Charleston County.

“My focus and intention are to promote effective crime reduction while simultaneously building public trust within the community I have sworn to serve, protect, and respect. I have always understood my role as a law enforcement officer as more so being a guardian rather than a warrior. Although both aspects are essential, there must be a discernible balance between the two.”

Public safety is my main focus, and to accomplish this goal, it’s imperative that we, as law enforcement, work for and with the community.” Where the situation dictates that law enforcement become warriors, even the force utilized must be reasonable and necessary. But let me be clear: excessive force will not be tolerated regardless of the offender’s provocation. I would emphasize to my deputies that we are law enforcers, not lawbreakers. Some bad actors plague every community, and I seek to protect every law-abiding citizen from such individuals.”

As guardians, we must move past vague and catchy slogans such as community engagement. The Sheriff’s office must actively engage the community with open and honest conversations. This approach builds legitimacy and fosters trust.” There are four areas the former Lieutenant intends to focus on as the next Sheriff of Charleston County.

“My role as Sheriff is to serve the best interests of the people of Charleston County. To accomplish this, the Sheriff’s Office must focus on four primary areas: crime prevention, community intervention, recruitment and retention, and detention,” Ali shares.

Community continues to be a primary area of focus for Alan. He adds, “Crime prevention and community intervention go hand in hand. As I explained, you need a trusted relationship between the officers and the community to keep the peace. Visit with the elderly woman sitting on her porch, play basketball with the kids in the neighborhood, go to the community stakeholders meeting, and listen to what the people say. Those people don’t want crime in their communities. If they see the officers as trusted allies, maybe Granny will tell you about the unusual activity he noticed in the pink house on the corner. Engaging with the community allows them to help prevent crime in their neighborhoods.”

Ali will focus on a critical area: the shortage of qualified officers. Since the pandemic, there has been an extreme shortage of skilled and qualified workers. Law enforcement has not been spearheaded this aftershock. “We need qualified officers. There is a nationwide shortage of trained police officers. The solution to this will be focused on recruitment and retention. I can’t stress enough how important the retention portion of this effort is,” Ali explains. We need good, seasoned mentors to train and prepare our new recruits. Without our veteran officers, we find ourselves with newly trained officers trying to mentor the recruits because so many seasoned officers are leaving the department. That is not ideal and can become dangerous if not addressed.”

The last yet equally important area Ali plans to focus on is Detention—namely, the Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston County. “The Department of Justice has taken over the Charleston County detention center. They are investigating the county jail because of multiple civil rights violations, death by fentanyl overdose, and suicide. There have been multiple deaths at the detention center because of staffing issues. This goes back to retention. We have lost a lot of good deputies because of poor leadership. The result is an understaffed system. Those who are there are stressed and overworked. It makes for dangerous conditions for both the staff and the inmates,” Ali explains. “This is unacceptable on every level. Because I haven’t worked corrections, I would bring in the experts. I would also promote from within. Not all of the workers there are bad. Some of them are good officers, and I believe if given the opportunity, they would be instrumental in helping to turn things around.”

Becoming the next Charleston County Sheriff is the next level in the calling that Ali believes he has in his life. From his perspective, he has been training to do it throughout his career. For Ali, serving his community is second nature.

“Over the past several years, I have volunteered to assist with numerous food distribution programs throughout Charleston County. I have worked with the Adopt-A-Community program, encompassing over twenty non-profit community-based organizations dealing with Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, Food disparities, gun violence, child abuse, and literacy programs. Every 1 Voice Matters, Second Chance Resource Center, Representation Matters, Community Resource Center, and Sun Flowers of Hoped,” Ali shares. “When people ask me what projects I would support if elected, I laugh a little. I’ve been working in my community since I was a teenager. I’ve always worked to serve my fellow human beings because we are a family. I won’t continue to serve because I’m elected. I will serve because that is what’s required of me. That requirement won’t change, win or lose.”

As Ali prepared for the June 11th primaries, he was informed that his name would not be on the ballot. He was initially set to run as a Democratic candidate against the current Democratic incumbent for Sheriff, but now Ali will run as a Write-In Candidate.

The highest form of leadership is found in service to others, for true greatness is measured by the positive impact on the lives of those we serve.

“On April 5th, 2024, the Democratic party denied my certification to be placed on the June 11th primary ballot. I and countless voters from both ends of the spectrum were outraged. Democracy and the right to vote for your chosen candidate are inalienable rights. As of June 11th, the incumbent, supported by his team, will be the only name on the Democratic ticket the votes will be able to select.”

Encouraged by his supporters, Ali chose to challenge the decision. He sued the Democratic party, but the judge ruled against him. “The date and time of the hearing was set. Then, my lawyer called the morning of the hearing and said the time had been pushed up. My wife and I arrived only a few minutes late but were not allowed to enter. The judge ruled without me being allowed to present my case.”

This was a frustrating blow to Lieutenant Ali, but it wasn’t enough to knock him out of the race.

“As a result, I am running as a Write-In Candidate for the office of Charleston County Sheriff. Because of my decision, party members are questioning my allegiance to the Democratic party. I want to make it clear that my allegiance is to the people of Charleston County. I stand by what I said before the certification. Politics should play no role in public safety. I am beholden to the people, not the politics. When I become Sheriff, I won’t be the Democratic Sheriff or the Republican Sheriff. I will be the people’s Sheriff. I am here to serve all the citizens of Charleston County, not just those whose political ideals align with mine.”

Because of the decision, Alan Ali will be the first black Sheriff in Charleston County history. He will go in as a Write-In Candidate, and the Write-In campaign is for the General election scheduled for November 5th.

www.aliforsheriff.com