Wednesday morning at 7:30, local law enforcement, community leaders and the Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers board enjoyed a celebratory breakfast at the local Golden Corral. The Crime Stoppers Annual Law Enforcement breakfast is put on each year as means of simply saying thank you.
As it so happens, September 25, 2015 will mark the 30th year for Crime Stoppers here in Vance County.
Lorraine Watkins, who also owns and operates Screen Master downtown, is the H-V Crime Stoppers board chair. She was present, speaking one on one with many in attendance and offered words of thanks. Clarence Hicks is the present day vice chair.
Lt. Irvin Robinson, now retired from full-time duty with the Henderson Police Department, servers at the Crime Stoppers coordinator. Robinson said well over 100 crimes have been solved in Vance County since the year 2000 as a result of Crime Stoppers, with 10s of thousands of dollars having been paid out anonymously.
Robinson is only the second coordinator in these 30 years. Sam Pearson, who retired from the Henderson Police Department in 2000, was the original coordinator. Pearson was well known and well respected in this community.
Tom Long was the original chairperson when Crime Stoppers began in the Henderson area on September 25, 1985. Long was the long-time instructor of law enforcement training at Vance Granville Community College.
The Crime Stoppers Association actually began here in 1982, but apparently it was a few more years before the organization was fully operational as we know it today.