911 calls
(Continued from pane lA)
assistance in 2002 is high because, in
his opinion, llie overall crime rale
“has increased." However, calls to
report se.xual offenses such as rape
appear to have signifieanlly dropped
by approximately 15 percent; child
abuse calls have slightly declined,
and reportsof domestic disturbances
are decreasing in 2002, according to
records.
Already, he says. 911 has reeei veil
25.65.3 requests through September
23 tor assistance from the Sheriff's
Office, he said. That compares to
27,244 in all of last year.
“That figure for last veardoes not
even include the volume of calls tor
medical or fire emergencies."
Fairbanks said. Calls answered in
2001 amounted to S36.91(). includ
ing 91 1, administrative and criminal
information data, he said, with an
average of 1,6 new transactions per
minute.
911 employs two full lime
telecommunieators on shift at all
times. Plus, a few part-limeis fill in
for them in case of absence, he said.
A1 Sehwarcbher serves in a dual role
as the department head of 911 and
Hoke fire marshal. Fairbanks super
vises the teleeommunicatois and is
available as a back-up
telecommunicator.
Response
"The call volume has increased
for the Sheriff's Office and that defi
nitely puts a higher demand upon the
telecommunieators, " Fairbanks said.
“Sheriff Jim Davis' staff is fairly
new. He is practically ehangingsiaff
all the time. We have to assist them
frequently with finding the loctition ,
of where emergency calls originated.
“The deputies are not real famil
iar with the county."
Fairbanks stiid his department is
meeting the demand for service.
However, he admitted at rare limes
the 911 lines have been “jammed
up."
Crime complaints up
Based on 911 statistics available
from 2001 through September 23
2002, requests to assist with prop
erty crimes have alretidy risen. With
three months remaining this yetir,
2002 statistics of 1,302 requests re
flect 50 more calls ha\ e .already been
received, exceeding last year's total
of l,252calls.911 is averaging 144.4
calls per month in 2002 inconirast to
104.3 calls per month in 2001 for
reported or suspicion of property
crimes.
These emergency request aver-
Editorial
Deadlines
Friday 12 Noon
Calendar Items
Social Items
News Items
Monday 12 Noon
Letters to
the Editor
Seplemtrer 25, 2002
THE NEWS-JOURNAL
Raeford, N.C.
Bond claim
ages are based upon combined statis
tics of breaking and entering, at
tempted BiVF', B&f' larceny, B&liof
aulomobi les, larceny, automobile theft
;ind larceny of gas incidents. General
larceny crime calls, alone, have esca
lated from 255 last year to 501 in the
first nine months of this year.
According to Major Thomas
Carlton of the Sheriff's Office, only
one homicide has been reported this
year, comparing to three murders in
2001. However, the number of vio
lent crime calls for incidents such as
shootings, stabbings and assaults ap
peals to alreaily be higher in 2002,
according to Fairbanks,
I'here were 198 assaults called in
to 911 telecommunications during
2001. comparing to 176 calls already
recorded in 2002. I'hal averages to
19.5 assaults per month this yearcom-
paied to 16.5 last year.
In 2001, 10 reports of stabbings
were called in to 911 .The 2002 record
has alieady exceeded last year, total
ing 11 eases. This averages to a ratio
of 1.2 incidents per month so fat in
2002, eompai ing to the lower r;ite of
.8 per nronlh last vear.
Shoot i ngs or shots fi red i nto dwel I-
ings and vehicles is rqr to 29 calls this
vear. comparing to 28 calls for all of
2001. Averaging 3.2 calls per month
in 2002. last year's lecord was lower
at onlv 2.3 calls per month.
In 2001. there were 31 complaint
calls received for armed robbery,
strong-tirmed and other robberies,
■fhosestatistieshavealready increased
this vear with a total of 30 calls re-
poiteil. Averagitig a higher rate of 4
robberv calls per month this year,
only 3.2 per month were called in
during 2001.
If the trend iti domestic assault
calls continues, an increase close to
30 percent is anticipated this year, hr
2001. records reflected 188 domestic
assault calls for a.ssistattee. compar
ing to 188 already received in 2002.
Downward trend
Calls for assistance with domestic
disturbances ;qipear to be showing a
decreaseittfrei|uency for911. In2001,
there were 500 domesticemergencies
requiritigtissistance from the Sheriff's
Office. Iti 2002, 357 domestic inci
dents hav’e'been reporte\l. This Sho\vs
a slight decrease from 41.6 per month
in 2001 to 39.6 so far in 2002.
Reports of eh i Id tibuse appear to be
slightlydeelitringin9l I calls. Records
reneeted 24 reported iticidentsofehild
abuse hist vear, tiveraging two eases
per month. It contrtisted to 14 cases
received this year, tiveraging 1.5 per
month.
Reports of missing persons con
tinues to be significantly high, but is
slightly declining so far this year. In
2001.205 people w ere reported miss-
iitg, requiring deputies to be dis
patched. I his compared to 139 people
reported lost in 2002. There were five
setirches conducted by deputies last
year for missing people and two
launched this year.
"The first ctills that are transmitted
to 9II from eiti/ens may be called in
as one type of complaint, but could be
chtinged into atiother category upon
the deputies'arrivals," Fairbanks said.
"For example, an assault might be
upgraded to a murder, or a breaking
atid enteritig might turti out to be a
false report.
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(Continued from page I A)
of embezzlement and 64 counts of
forgery, concerning 76 checks alleg
edly written to herself drawn from
county funds. The highest check
timount allegedly written by her to
taled $25,000.
At the time the alleged criminal
misconduct occurred, MePhatter was
distinguished as the only black, fe
male county manager in the state,
according to a county official.
MePhatter was earning more than
$80,000 per year in October 2001
when she resigned after being sus
pected of embezzlement allegations.
Rush was indicted on one felony
count of "assessory after the fact.’"
l-ven with the administrative ac
tion taken to retrieve the bond re
funds, Human Resources Director
Jean Wade said it has yet to be deter
mined ifall the losses will he covered.
If necessary, the county may have to
deal with litigation to state its posi
tion. she added.
"1 do feel like we will recoup most
of our losses through our various in
surance coverages," Wade said. "We
still do not know if the bond covered
losses per oecurrenee or if it was an
annual per year amount that was cov
ered,
"Our County Attorney Neil
Yarborough was very instrumental in
compiling all the data that was neces
sary for the bond company. The county
commissioners requested him to put
together the information."
According to Wade, the bond firm
has had "ample ’ time to respond to
the county 's request. She will send a
follow-up letter if she is requested to
do so by the board or county manager,
she said.
Wade said other liability insur
ance through the Risk Management
Pools administered by the N.C.
County Commissioners Association
could cover "deficiencies" not paid
by the bond firm.
alleged thefts of money exceeded
$136,000 during that one-and-a-half
year span.
After stepping down as finance-
director in July 2000, MePhatter was
only bonded for $20,0(K). However,
the losses to Hoke from her alleged
embezzlement was over $30,000 un
til it apparently ended in November
20(K).
Over the course of her tenure,
MePhatter also allegedly spent more
that $23,000 of county funds in unau
thorized travel stipends, records
showed.
Rush, who was promoted from
assistant finance director to finance
director in July 2000, had a bond
placed on her of $20,000. Rush alleg
edly accepted a personal cheek from
MePhatter and deposited it to cover a
$5,000 check MePhatter had alleg
edly already forged from county funds
on November 7. 2000.
"Assuming the county manager
woidd have little contact with the
county's money when Shirley Rush
took over as finance director, Mrs.
MePhatter’s coverage remained
$20,000,” Wade said. “In August 31,
2001, we increa.sed the coverage for
finance officer to $l(K),(M)0, but the
(alleged) embezzlements of Mrs.
MePhatter occurred before that
time."
In improving liability coverages,
Wade said a $100,000 bond has been
placed on assistant finance director
Scott Fdwards since he is serving in
the role, unofficially, as finance di
rector.
Other bond coverages on county
employees include: $400,000 on Tax
Collector Judy Pittman; $25,0(K) on
County Manager Mike Wood;
$25,000 on SheriffJim Davis; $25,0(X)
on Coroner Frank Crumpler; and
$25,000 on Register of Deeds Della
Maynor-Bowen.
Yarborough said the schedule of
bonds for MePhatter and the schedule
of tire county's losses that were appli
cable have been processed.
"I am not sure how much the reim
bursement will be," Yarborough said.
"I feel very confident that we will
receive some reimbursement on the
bond claim that was filed.”
Spancx) building
(Continued from page lA)
Marine occupied the property for a
period of time and left owing $22,500.
Fields said Penn Yan, which moved
to Virginia, has signed a promissory
note with the city and will be paying
their debt.
Penn Yan’s plans sank when
$1()(),0()() in critical funding from the
state did not come through; that also
resulted in a delay in the release of
$55,000 in financial commitment ex
pected from Hoke County.
"Once the sale iscomplete, the city
willelearapproximately$l 15,000 on
the purchase taking into account the
deal with Penn Yan," Fields said. At
the time the city accepted the Spanco
building, the city paid approximately
$111,000 in back taxes to the
county.
"Paraclete is anxious to begin op
erations immediately,” Fields said.
The company’s owner, Tim
D'Annunzio, is a resident of Raeford.
Losses
A pattern of embezzlement began,
according to recent audit records, in
July 1994 when MePhatter was assis
tant finance director. However, sus
picion of possible prolonged em- ^ -
bezzlement was ilot uncovered until ate"
county employee discovered a cheek
in October 2001.
The first alleged incident - check
onJuly 19,1994-wasfor$1,950,but
it was unknown what amount of bond
would havecovered it. MePhatter was
promoted to finance director in 1996.
During 1996 and 1997 when her bond
was $20,(M)0, the moneys allegedly
embezzled totaled over $29,000.
In 1997 and 1998, MePhatter still
served as finance director, but was
promoted in adual capacity as interim
county manager. The bond amounts
indicated she was covered “$20,0(K)
plus $20,000” for the two positions.
Wade said some question apparently
remains if her status as “interim" was
covered by the bond. Losses to the
county exceeded $47,0(K) during that
period, according to records.
In December 1998, MePhatterwas
promoted to county manager, but also
still served as finance director until
June 30,2000. Her bond amounts still
totaled $20,000 plus $20,(K)0, but the
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