Local law enforcement leaders said Monday they appreciate the efforts of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District North Carolina Robert J. Higdon, Jr. during his three-plus years in office and look forward to further strengthening the relationship between local and federal agencies to reduce violent crime in the area.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk and said Henderson has benefitted from what Higdon oversaw in the EDNC.

Higdon stepped down over the weekend, and announced that First Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Acker will be acting U.S. Attorney until a new chief is recommended and is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Higdon, who has been a federal prosecutor for more than 28 years,  released a statement last week listing several accomplishments made during his time as lead attorney for EDNC, which covers 44 counties in North Carolina.

Among the programs was the revitalization of the “Project Safe Neighborhood” program as well as the development of the “Take Back North Carolina Initiative,” both efforts aimed at reducing violent crime.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow reflected on Higdon’s influence from a local perspective and said he appreciated the effort to build relationships with community law enforcement agencies. Barrow said that under Higdon’s watch, more than 200 people had been federally prosecuted in Henderson.

Barrow said Higdon also was instrumental in the Henderson police department getting a grant for purchase of equipment to take “ballistic fingerprints” of bullets – another tool to catch criminals and reduce gun violence. Whoever follows in Higdon’s position “will have big shoes to fill,” Barrow noted.

The USAO has made a concerted effort to provide support to law enforcement all across the District, Higdon stated. The “Take Back North Carolina Initiative” involved moving attorneys and staff into the district on a daily basis, which afforded the staff “careful listening to and respect for the expertise of law enforcement officials all across the district who know their communities and who know who and what to pursue in order to drive down our crime rates and make our communities safer and more secure,” the statement read.

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Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame praised the work of Higdon and his staff as well. In a prepared statement to WIZS, Brame said the USAO under Higdon’s leadership had been an integral part in the success that his department has had since Brame was elected in 2018. Since that time, five serious offenders have been convicted in federal court and another seven are awaiting prosecution.

“The continuous working relationship that Mr. Higdon has provided to the Vance County sheriff’s office has given the agency a sense of hope and accomplishment that we can provide the citizens of Vance County other ways to remove the most violent offenders from our community,” Brame stated.

In April 2018, Higdon held a press conference in Henderson during which he detailed plans to target the worsening opioid epidemic in eastern North Carolina. Violent crime and drug problems in communities are both areas that Higdon said he and his team of federal prosecutors helped to reduce with the use of regional federal prosecutors, whose mission would be to get the worst offenders off the street quickly and to add time to sentences to crimes involving guns.

In his written statement announcing his departure, Higdon said “to have the chance to work with these exceptional professionals and the brave heroes who serve us in uniform has been a true blessing.  I hope that we have served the people of this district, this state, and this country well.  I am proud of the work we have done together.  And, I hope and pray for the continued success of these fine public servants in the years to come.”