GREENSBORO − Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes and his wife, Dena, were awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in a ceremony Monday, according to an announcement from the N.C. Governor’s Office.
“BJ’s dedication to the State of North Carolina and the people of Guilford County should not go unnoticed,” Gov. Pat McCrory stated in a news release. “His service has been truly incredible and I am lucky to call him not only a colleague, but a friend as well.”
Barnes, the longest-serving Sheriff in Guilford’s history, has focused much of his tenure on crime reduction. The department has experienced a 46 percent reduction in crime under Barnes’ leadership, according to the news release.
