NATCHEZ — For the past 38 years, Gregory Wisner has not only had the opportunity to protect the people of Mississippi and Adams County, but also its wildlife inhabitants as well.

But after spending 30 years with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks as a conservation office, Wisner, 62, is hoping to focus his attention on the protection of the citizens of Adams County, again, but this time as sheriff.

“I want to give something back to Adams County,” Wisner said. “Every day I did law enforcement for 38 years, and I think I’m qualified.”

This story is part of a series of stories featuring the eight candidates for Adams County Sheriff. The candidates were featured in alphabetical order between Oct. 5-8.

After graduating from Natchez High School, Wisner attended Clarke Memorial Baptist Junior College, but did not finish.

“I went from there to the Mississippi Highway Patrol Academy in Pearl, and graduated from there and spent seven years with the highway patrol,” Wisner said.

After leaving the highway patrol, Wisner worked with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office for a year before becoming a conservation officer.

One of Wisner’s main platforms is the county’s drug problem with illegal narcotics.

“Drugs are taking this county over, and I want to do something about that,” Wisner said. “My family is here. I don’t want (drugs) to permeate our society to the extent that it has.”

Wisner said the steps toward achieving his anti-drug goal of is found in cooperation and manpower.

“I think we need to do more with a bigger team. Get the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics involved. Get the city and the county and the Mississippi Department of Transportation all involved in working toward one goal,” Wisner said. “We need to reach out to our neighboring counties and parishes and work as a team to combat this (drug) problem.”

Wisner said he was also concerned for the safety of those living in the outer reaches of the county.

“We need to put more effort into these boondocks areas. We need to be seen just as much there as in highly populated parts of the county,” Wisner said.

While Wisner said he’s running a quiet sheriff’s campaign, he still believes he’s the man for the job.

“I don’t like politics whatsoever,” Wisner said. “I’m a law man. I can do this job — I know I can. I have all the confidence in the world in that.”