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Leaders of Transylvania coun
ty’s law enforcement agencies
recently heard Charles Dunn,
Director of the N. C. State
Bureau of Investigation, say that
action and concern by people
are needed to prevent crime.
Speaking at a meeting of
the French Broad Criminal
Justice Planning Agency at
Berry's Restaurant the eve
ning of Jane 13th, Mr. Dunn
stressed the need to upgrade
law enforcement agencies al
so.
Attending in behalf of Tran
sylvania and Brevard law en
forcement officers were Sheriff
Milford C- Hubbard, Investiga
tor Hubert C. Brown, and Bre
vard Chief of Police, J. C. Rowe.
Some excerpts from Mrs.
Dunn’s speech follow:
“For several years now we
have heard a lot of talk about
law and order or law and jus
tice. A lot of it has been just
that: talk. People talk about
support for the police, but sel
dom do they write their city
councilmen or county commis
sioners. A recent survey on pub
lic attitudes in the state found
a high level of support for the
police. Of course that is fine
but it is sort of hard to equate
that with the low salaries paid
officers in North Carolina, the
long hours they are required to
put in, and the lack of train
ing available to many.
“The duties and responsi
ilities of law enforcement
are increasing because of the
times in which we live. The
officers job is constantly be
coming more dificult. Crime
is on the increase. And, to
generalize, people are con
cerned. But, many unfort
unately seem to react with a
“Chicken Little” complex.
♦ They form an opinion and
then run around telling every
one they meet that “the sky is
falling.'*- They react tn fear
and too often fail to do any
thing constructive to find so
lutions to the problem of
crime or, more basically, to
the problems that cause and
foster crime.
‘This is not to say that some
progress is not being made in
law enforcement and in the en
tire criminal justice system.
We are witnessing improve
ments. Many police depart
ments and sheriffs’ deprtments
have grown and developed in
recent years. More officers —
too often on their own time
and expense —- have obtained
more training. Basic equipment
has been supplied to many
agencies through the law En
forcement Assistance Adminis
tration program.
“The 1971 General Assemb
ly took a major step when it
authorized the creation of
the North Carolina Training
and Standards Council. This
Council, headed by Sheriff
Malcolm McLeod of Bobeson
County, has the authority to
set minimum standards for
admission and training for
law enforcement officers. Ev.
en though no money was pro
vided for its operation, this
Council is one of the most
progressive piece of legisla
tion ever enacted in North
Carolina insofar as the crim
inal justice system is concern
ed.
“Another major step forward
for law enforcement has been
the development of the Police
Information Network in the De
partment of Justice. This com
puterized information system,
which eventually will link all
law enforcement in the State,
has already paid for itself in
assisting in the apprehension of
wanted criminals and the re
covery of stolen property, if
the 'Attorney General has done
nothing else during his term
than develop PIN, his t1®*
would have been well spent.
“The Attorney General, of
course, has done much more to
strengthen and develop law
enforcement. Under his lead
ership, the State Bureau of
Investigation has ben able to
extend and strengthen its
field and laboratory services
for local law enforcement. It
has tripled in sixe, developed
what we feel is one of the
finest equipped and staffed
laboratories in the country,
and put into service one of
the best qualified and train
ing investigative teams any
where.
It sometimes seems that too
many people expect miracles
from officers. They never want
to see an officer until they need
one and then they expect him
to show up in 30 seconds or
less and immediately solve the
problem whatever it may be.
We are not miracle workers
and are no better than our re
sources and support will allow
us to be.
“Too often the support has
not equaled the lip service.
Salaries are low and the rate
of increase these last few
years has not kept pace with
other professions. Training
and education resources are
still limited. The last General
Assembly, for instance, failed
to provide funds to start a
Criminal Justice Academy
even though it had the ac
tive support of the Governor
and law enforcement across
the State. Even when a crime
occurs, many people avoid
helping the officer. They are
too busy and they don’t want
to get involved.
“The dangers of the job of
law enforcement are ever pres
ent. There were three officers
killed in line of duty in North
Carolina last year and more
than 30 were seriously injured.
The dead included a police cap
tain who was shot by an oc
cupant of a stolen automobile,
a deputy sheriff who was Shot
while responding to a bank
robbery alarm, and a Wildlife
Protector who allegedly was kill
ed by a man to whom he had
given a ticket. Other officers
were seriously injured while
apprehending suspects, picking
up mental patients, and during
racial disturbances.
“We need to be less con
cerned about armament and
more concerned about the
individual officer. We need to
be concerned about how well
qualified he is, how well edu
cated and trained he is, and
how well he is supported by
those he serves.
“Law enforcement just can’t
do the job alone, even if we
had the resources, which we
don’t. So many of the crime
problems of today are social
problems and really need a
society - wide approach for so
lution. The drug problem is a
case in point. Too many people
have said “let law enforcement
take care of it.” We don’t have
the resources and even if we
did, society still would have to
be more active in preventing
the problems that lead some
people to drugs.
“The courts, of course, have
a tremendously important role
to play in crime prevention.
If some law enforcement, has
been too hard • nosed, then
some courts have leaned in
the other direction. I am not
only speaking of the federal
courts. In fact, many of the
federal courts’ decisions af
fecting law enforcement came
about because officers had
not had the proper training,
i. e. resources. There is pub
lic concern over the delay in
trials and the seemingly
double standard, particularly
in certain types of cases in
some courts.
“Certainly no one’s rights
should be cut short, but so
ciety as well as individuals
should have the right to a
speedy trial. The Attorney Gen
eral has pointed to the prob
lem of long dockets. Any man
or woman accused of violating
a law should be tried within 60
to 90 days of the time he is
arrested. Speedy trials are a
necessity. If more court officials
are needed, then they should be
provided along with responsi
bility for keping dockets cur
rent. It would be cheaper than
the present “drag it out” sys
tem.
“Plea • bargaining in court
is one thing; reducing charges
for accommodation or because
of one who is involved is
another. An attempt to help
an individual at times may
have just the opposite effect.
Some standards in sentencing,
regardless of which side of
town the individual is from,
also would help in some cases.
One of the major dangers to
have just the opposite effect,
the so called system today is
from those who think they
have fooled it and who have
seen by experience that who
you are can make a difference.
“Finally, when you talk about
crime prevention, one of the
most tragic areas is juvenile
programs. First of all, many
of the young people who are
considered delinquent are no
worse and maybe not as bad
as your children and mine.
They just don’t have anyone
to stand up for them, to give
them guidance and encourage
ment when the chips are down.
In fact, we may need a law that
would make parents responsible
for their children’s actions until
they reach a certain age. For
instance, if a juvenile is given
a mini-bike and he violates the
law, then the parent should be
charged.
“When young people get in
to trouble, however, too often
there is no one to help. Juv
enile detention homes in this
State are generally inadquate
and, unfortunately, do not ev
en exist in many areas. They
have such low priorities in
some places that they have
difficulty in staying in opera
tion. The State • supported
juvenile corrections program
has faired little better. It
has had inadequate resources
for staffing, for research, et
cetera. And, half .the boys
and girls in the system
shouldn’t be. They are not
criminals and in many cases
have done little more than
stay out of school.
“The ineffectiveness of these
institutions with many of the
young people they deal, plus
the hodge-podge of after-care
programs, or lack of them, is a
disgrace on this State. The
problems have been studied for
years and, yet, the resources
have not been forthcoming. The
alumni associations of such fa
cilities unfortunately do not do
a very effective job of lobby
ing on any level. And. those
people who could help are some
times too busy talking about law
ard order or crime prevention
whatever they are. Resources,
money and time, public aware
ness and public action are need
ed now.
“The young people is where
a major part of your atten
tion is needed. The percent
age of people over 35 years
of age getting into crime is
small compared with the per
centage of ten-agers. Crime
prevention is meaningful op
portunities for youth involve
ment within the home, the
church, the school, the com
munity. It is a well financed
and coordinated juvenile cor
rections program. It is equal
justice under the law. It is
effective and understanding
law enforcement Crime pre
vention Is more than talk. It
b concern for the young
people. It is action.”
ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE
In The General Court Of Justice
Superior Coart Division
State of North Carolina
Transylvania County
Having qualified as Adminis
trator of the estate of Thomas
E. Grogan, deceased, of Transyl
vania County, North Carolina,
this is to notify all persons hav
ing claims-against the estate of
old Thomas E. Grogan to pre
tent them to the undersigned
within 6 months from date of
of this notice or
will be pleaded in bar of
4 *
make immediate payment
This the 8th day of Jffl
1972
/s'Thomas H. Water*
105 S. Johnson Street
Brevard, N. C. 28712
RAMSEY, HILL, SMART
RAMSEY
John K. Smart, Jr., Attorney
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