Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / March 12, 1992, edition 1 / Page 3
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Leland Residents Support Plan To Form Northern Police Force BY TERRY POPE Some Lcland residents say they arc willing to pay higher taxes to support a police department in northern Brunswick County. About 40 people attended a meet ing with the Lcland Town Council last Thursday. March 5. to discuss how the town can get police protec tion at an affordable cost. "We do need one," said resident Lucille Blake. "We need one 24 hours a day." The N.C. Institute of Government estimates it costs approximately $250,000 a year to staff and equip six officers. That would allow one on-duty officer to patrol around the clock. Lcland's tax rate is 5 cents per SI 00 of property valuation, which brings in approximately 518,000 per year. Town officials allocated S50,(XX) for the 1991-92 fiscal year for a po lice department, said Mayor S.L. Doty. The town's total estimated an nual revenue is about $280,000, in cluding funds from the state, with approximately $83,000 restricted for certain uses such as street mainte nance and sanitation In September, the town hired a police chief who planned to set up an auxiliary force of officers in training, but John McCarthy re signed two months later. The former New York City policeman was un certified in North Carolina, prompt ing criticism from some members of the council. He had planned to work on reccrtification while forming the department. Officials from the towns of Navassa and Bclvillc have agreed to study a possible joint venture with each town paying its share. "I think it's possible that we can cut that substantially," Bclville Mayor Ken Mcsser said of the $250,000 figure. "Somewhere in there is a good common sense figure that might work and would give us 24-hour a day coverage." Mcsser, who is also a detective with the Brunswick County Sheriffs Department, said Bclville wants to help form a police depart ment, not because its crime rate is close to that of Lcland's, but be cause the community needs to pull together. The Lcland community loses an estimated $1 million in property per year to thieves and vandals, he said. "We know the area needs it, and we're willing to do our share," said Messer. Those in the audience laughed when Doty reported the county "Somewhere in there is a good common sense figure that might work and would give us 24-hour a day coverage." ? Ken Messer, Belville Mayor wants S100 per hour to hire sheriff's deputies to patrol the town. "You don't have to beg to the county," said Messcr. "You have the capability to go forward." Tom Hunter, a Shalloite detective and volunteer police chief for the town of Sandy Creek near Maco, said when it comes to setting up po lice protection towns usually get what they pay for. "You need law enforcement in this area," said Hunter. "If you try to do it with one or two men, I think you're selling yourself short. You can't do it on a part-time basis." A town like Sandy Creek, which reported just three break-ins in 1990, is a good training ground for a vol unteer auxiliary force, said Hunter. "You get three break-ins an hour up licie," he added. "You don't want a Cadillac, but you don't want an old clunker either." Others said they don't think 5250,000 is loo much to pay for po lice protection. "You get what you pay for," said Mrs. Blake. "If you expect a good, quality police deparunent, you're going to have to pay for it." A non-resident property owner, V.A. Crecch Jr., suggested the towns should contract to hire a sher iff's deputy to patrol first before forming a department. "I believe that if one man was available at night..." said Crecch, "his presence and moving around would be a strong deterrent to crime in the Lcland area. At least try that before you go the whole gamut." Gordon Hobbs said his home has been hit by gunfire and his niece's home broken into. "We need to do something," said Hobbs. "I don't mind paying the tax increase. If you keep on doing what you've always done, then you're go ing to keep on getting what you've got. And I don't like what I've got right now." Three break- ins have cost resident Jimmy Cook an estimated SI 3,000 in property. "The sheriffs department is do ing all they can do with what they've got," said Cook, a former deputy. One deputy now patrols the north ern Brunswick County district, an area with boundaries from Sunny Point, to Town Creek to the Colum bus County line, said Sheriff's Sgt. Gene Browning. Each of the five shifts has four road deputies and one desk sergeant, who docsn t icavc the office, to cover the county. "There is a lot more crimc going on in the Lcland area than people re alize," said Donald Gilbert. Sheriff John Carr Davis said he is willing to work with the northern towns, no matter what they decide to do, to help improve policc protec tion in that area. Doty said the meeting was held to gather input from citizcns before die council holds a workshop, to be scheduled later, on possibly forming a police department. Raleigh/Durham only $1 ,845 per person Fabulous trips you'll remember forever at affordable prices. Stop by or call BRUNSWICK TRAVEL inc. - -CRUISE HEADQUARTERS" 150 Holden Beach Rd? Shallotte, NC 28459 754-7484, 1-800-852-2736 PRE-SPRING FRESHEN UP SALE Why wait to brighten your home... everything IN STOCK reduced for you! 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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March 12, 1992, edition 1
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