Something is different about Henderson County’s sheriff’s deputies, who were recently reminded of their roots and how they should serve the community.
New seven-point star badges have been issued by Sheriff Charles McDonald as part of his vision for the department as they move forward.
“We felt like going back to the traditional deputy badge (that) reminds us and reaffirms us of what our mission is to the community,” he said.
Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes is making a big move in an effort to address the growing problem of inmates with mental health issues and substance abuse problems in the county jails.
The county is hiring a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a counselor who will be dedicated to treating inmates with mental health issues, and the jails in Greensboro and High Point will be implementing a new incarceration system in which inmates with mental health problems will all be removed from the jails’ general population and placed together in a single 40-person pod in the Greensboro jail. Likewise, drug addicts will be placed in an adjacent 40-person pod on the same floor as the mental health patients.
For the first time, those two problem populations will be isolated from the general population and consolidated in a way that makes regular and consistent treatment for their issues much easier, and one that makes life easier on all other inmates as well.
Organizers are looking for more jumpers to join the 50 participants registered for the annual costumed Polar Plunge to be held Saturday, Feb. 6, to support the North Carolina Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.
Registration onsite begins at 11:30am at the outdoor pool of The Fitness Center, 861 Old Winston Road, Kernersville. The Polar Plunge begins at 1 p.m. Jumpers must raise $50 to participate, or can raise $25 to “dip a toe and go.” All participants are encouraged to come in costume. Teams can choose a theme.
Police cars in a North Carolina county will soon display “In God We Trust” decals thanks to support from a local church.
Rutherford County Sheriff Chris Francis said he’s been trying to display the nation’s motto on patrol cars for quite some time now, but it wasn’t in the budget, WLOS reported.
Fairview Baptist Church Pastor David Ledford learned of the project and decided to get involved. He offered to fund the decals and agreed to continue to fund the project as new vehicles were added to the unit.
Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman was recognized by Special Olympics North Carolina as 2015 Sheriff of the Year for the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
Norman was honored at this year’s kickoff for the fundraising season for Special Olympics, Sgt. Melanie Martin of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office said. Norman was selected out of the 100 sheriffs in the state for his “leadership and dedication” concerning Special Olympics.
Over the past four years, the sheriff’s office has raised more than $30,000 for Special Olympics, including more than $13,000 in 2015 alone. This year, the sheriff’s office is hoping to increase that, Martin said.
SURRY COUNTY, N.C. — A Dobson police officer was killed in an off-duty crash Thursday night on Interstate 77.
Officer Alexander “Dave” Wilmoth, 23, died at the scene of the crash just before 11 p.m. on the southbound side between mile marker 97 and 98. Wilmoth is the nephew of Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson.
Wilmoth was driving his personal Toyota pickup truck when he lost control of the vehicle, investigators said. The truck went into the median, crossed back over both southbound lanes, went over a guardrail, overturned several times and hit a tree, investigators said.
GREENVILLE, NC (WNCT) – According to the CDC, six teenagers die every day in car accidents.
Car manufacturers are working to stop distracted teen driving by implementing new safety features.
Ford, Hyundai, and Chevy all have new systems that are available in some models. The 2016 Chevy Malibu has a new system called Teen Driver.
Parents can program the teen’s key fab, so they know what the driver is doing when behind the wheel.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)- Pitt County is putting new emergency notification system in place.
CodeRED will serve as a communication outreach to both citizens and Pitt County staff through phone calls, texts, e-mails, etc. to inform residents of critical information.
“CodeRED’s robust system will provide Pitt County staff with a reliable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use interface to quickly disseminate critical information to our citizens during emergencies,” said Emergency Management Director Noel Lee. “We are very eager to use this technology to enhance our emergency preparedness plans.”
ST. MARTINVILLE, La. – The killing of a mentally ill man in his south Louisiana home during a struggle with sheriff’s deputies last month appears to fit a troubling, tragic pattern.
Michael Noel, 32, struggled for years to get treatment for his paranoid schizophrenia. The deputies who confronted Noel last month were carrying out a protective custody order so he could be involuntarily hospitalized. Experts see evidence suggesting the problem of deadly confrontations between law enforcement officers and people with mental illness has worsened as governments dismantle networks of health care services.
The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association recognized Senator Tom Apodaca in early January as a 2015 Defender of Public Safety for the work he did during the 2015 legislative session to protect public safety in North Carolina.
Senator Apodaca dedicated time and effort during the session advocating for law enforcement issues that impact the office of sheriff, local communities and the state.