Tag Archive for: #hendersonpolice

TownTalk: Police Chief Concerned With Litter Problem

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Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow wants the public to be on the lookout for…signs in their neighborhoods that are part of an anti-litter campaign.

The signs will feature brightly colored handprints – about the size of a child’s hand – and will include a QR code that is linked directly to Crime Stoppers, so the public can report instances of littering by pointing their cell phone at the code.

Barrow told WIZS Monday on TownTalk that the campaign is as much about education and prevention as it is about catching litterbugs.

With a modest $6,000 budget from a federal asset forfeiture funds allocation, Barrow said he plans to target elementary school-aged children across the city to impress upon them the importance of keeping litter off the streets.

“It’s going to be an inclusive campaign,” Barrow said, adding that there will be ways to tie in with businesses, pastors and churches and individuals. “We’re just going to try to throw the kitchen sink at this thing,” he said.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon helped get quarterly cleanups started when he came on board, which complements the state’s annual Litter Sweep campaign, which this year is April 26.

Barrow said he still recalls those catchy phrases he learned when he was in elementary school, and they’ve stuck with him – “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires,” and “Give a Hoot – Don’t Pollute,” to name a few.

This campaign’s catch phrases aimed at schoolchildren can have a similar lasting effect on today’s young people – “Don’t Trash Our Future” and “Children Deserve a Clean Community” bring home the message to put trash in its place.

There’s even talk of having stickers that fast-food restaurants will put on their bags that will contain the anti-litter messaging, Barrow said, “to put it in as many faces as we can to prevent (littering) instead of taking punitive measures.”

More information about the upcoming campaign should be available in the next couple of weeks.

 

 

TownTalk: Henderson Police Considering Installation Of License Plate Readers

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Update 9:45 p.m. Monday:

The Henderson City Council unanimously approved, with two council people absent, both measures presented in more detail in the original noon news update listed below.

With those votes of approval, each sworn Henderson Police officer will receive $6,456 more in base salary except for exempt staff like captains, assistant chief positions and HPD Chief Marcus Barrow.  It sounded like from what City Manager Terrell Blackmon said during the meeting, those command positions would soon also receive a comparable increase and that it may be the same amount of $6,456.  In addition, the funding equivalent of the annual pay and benefits of one police officer, which is already funded but an unfilled position, will be used to implement the License Plate Readers.

Barrow said in the meeting that his patrol and investigation divisions need the most help right now.  He said the LPRs would help in both those areas and thus the whole police department.

The LPRs are electronic data, and Barrow said it was electronic data that led to the arrest of the three suspects in the recent Gholson Avenue homicides.

Chief Barrow provided a few additional facts the public may like to hear as well.

He said, “They are visible.  They are not hidden from the public.  They are motion sensitive.  They are not constantly recording.  They are identical to what is used at the toll booths.  This is not for speeding.  It will not take pictures of people, just motor vehicles.  This is the least invasive.”

He said to be fair the placement of the devices would be totally data driven.

Original Update Noon Monday:

The Henderson City Council is expected to act tonight on a couple of requests aimed at giving local law enforcement officers more money in their pockets and an additional tool to help them in their job of keeping the city safe.

The police department is allotted 52 sworn law enforcement positions, but it currently has about a dozen vacancies. In two separate requests spelled out in tonight’s agenda information packet, Chief Marcus Barrow wants to take the equivalent of one police officer’s salary – $66,000 – and use it to place throughout the city 25 camera-like devices that can read license plates.

Barrow, along with city staff, want to take some of that unused money from the salary pot and put it to work to help the current officers who patrol the city’s streets and neighborhoods.

The license plate readers, or LPRs, are small and only weigh about 3 pounds but they can have a powerful impact. Police can enter license plate information into the system and the LPR will “look” for matching tags. Whether it’s a stolen vehicle or a vehicle associated in other criminal activity, the LPR can help police narrow down searches.

Flock Safety will provide 25 license plate readers for the police department to use, and will in essence, take the place of one law enforcement officer.

Numerous nearby municipalities are already using Flock Safety or have contracted with them for deployment in the near future. Local law enforcement is in constant contact with those agencies to help solve crimes that travel through various jurisdictions.

“Filling positions has become increasingly difficult, and law enforcement agencies across the nation are seeking alternative solutions to supplement their shortages with technology and tools to assist their workforce,” states information from the council’s agenda packet.

But additional technology isn’t the only thing that Barrow is asking council members to consider: He wants them to bump up the salaries of current sworn officers by more than $6,000 to make the base pay more competitive with nearby agencies.

The city raised the base pay a couple of years ago, and Barrow said that helped retention rates tremendously. But now, surrounding agencies are upping their game and implementing pay adjustments of their own.

“We are just past the midterm of our fiscal year and anticipate a $400,000 to $500,000 surplus in our approved salaries, wages and benefits. With most agencies in the Wake County area at a $50,000 starting salary, and comparable sized agencies at or near this mark, it is necessary that we develop a salary adjustment that will align with the market trend to help with officer retention and recruitment,” as stated by Barrow and other city staff in information included in the agenda packet.

The salary adjustment of $6,456 for each sworn employee would bring the hiring salary for an entry-level sworn officer to $48,959 – just shy of Wake County agencies, but more in line with neighboring counties’ pay rates.

“If nothing is done, we expect shortages to continue and retention efforts to dwindle as competing agencies further the gap,” according to the agenda information.

If implemented this month, March 2023, the total cost, including benefits but not including the pending retirement of a lieutenant in March or April, is approximately $102,000. In FY 23-24, the total increase would be $315,000 in the Salary/Wage line item.

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Coming Together To Improve The Community

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The Henderson Police Department’s Tony Mills wears a couple of hats – he’s a detective but he also serves as a liaison with state and federal law enforcement agencies to make sure those strong partnerships are in place among the different entities.

But Mills also is from Henderson, and he calls Henderson home, which just strengthens his resolve to make the city he serves even better.

Mills was one of the speakers at last week’s gathering of business and community leaders sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, and he spoke Tuesday with John C. Rose on Town Talk.

In reflecting on his remarks during the Aug. 26 meeting held at Clearview Church, Mills was optimistic.

“I’m as excited as I’ve ever been, being a resident of Henderson, and calling Henderson home, and being an employee for the city of Henderson and working for the Henderson Police Department…seeing this group wanting to come together with the city and work with the city council,” Mills said he has plenty of hope for the Henderson’s future.

Having business leaders come together to voice concerns as well as offer support and suggestions may be just what the community needs to stay on the path toward progress. Having the business and private sectors working in concert with law enforcement is a positive step.

“The Henderson Police Department is a small department,” Mills readily acknowledged. But that doesn’t cloud his opinion of its capabilities. “I will put the Henderson Police Department and its men and women that serve the citizens of Henderson against any police department in the continental United States. That’s their work ethic, that’s their drive to make their community a better place,” he said.

As a liaison with agencies at the state and federal levels, Mills has the opportunity to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the local district attorney’s office and Drug Enforcement Agency, among others.

“It takes all of us to work together,” he said, to reach those desirable outcomes of getting the bad guys off the streets and making communities safer.

But once an arrest is made, the wheels of justice sometimes turn slowly. State courts and federal courts may view similar crimes in different ways, he said. “You may get more time in state court for just selling heroin,” he noted. “But throw a gun into the mix, and you’re going to get more time in the federal system.”

Routinely, these external partners meet with local law enforcement to discuss the best way to proceed with prosecution. “We come up with a solution and send it up the avenue that’s going to make the community a better place,” he said.

Being a team player with these other law enforcement partners pays dividends for local departments like Henderson’s, Mills said, because they often have resources that just aren’t available or realistic for smaller forces.

Through collaboration, however, smaller departments often can have a bigger impact when it comes to getting bad guys off the streets – which is one thing that is important to business leaders and private citizens. And business leaders and private citizens are a part of the collaboration effort, he said.

“I wish I didn’t have to tell them that we need their help,” Mills said. “I wish we could get it done by ourselves, but we can’t…everybody needs to do their part.”

If you observe something that just doesn’t look right, or makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, he said, you need to report it. Even those seemingly insignificant things could be a missing piece of the puzzle that law enforcement officers have been investigating for a while.

 

 

Investigation continues in report of armed suspects inside local Walmart

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Henderson police continue to investigate following a report Tuesday of possible armed suspects inside the local Walmart. So far, no arrests have been made in the case.

Police were called to the Walmart, located at 200 N. Cooper Dr. at about 4:15 p.m. on a report of possible armed suspects inside the store.

The first officers arrived on the scene at 4:17 p.m. The store was evacuated while a search of the building was conducted, according to information from Chief Marcus Barrow. Upon review of surveillance video, it was determined that three individuals suspected in the incident had left the store before the first officers arrived.

The store since reopened as investigators follow up on leads.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the police department through Facebook Messenger, the P3 app, Crime Stoppers, or by calling our main line 252.438.4141.

Local News Audio

Noon News 11-10-20 Veterans Day; Henderson Police Awards; Weldon’s Mill Bridge; Bombas

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Noon News 11-10-20; WIZS Local News Audio

– Veterans Day Program on WIZS
– Henderson Police Earn Life Saving Awards
– Weldon’s Mill Road Bridge Closure
– Bombas Grant

Click Play for Audio and Full Details…

 

Henderson Police Department

Man Shot in Altercation 06/15/19; Suspect Being Sought

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— statement from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

The Henderson Police Department has active a Felony AWDWIKISI (Assault With a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill or Inflict Serious Injury) warrant for Rodriekgus Terelle Johnson, 33. Saturday at approximately 10:49 a.m., Rodriekgus Johnson shot Robert Lee Miles, Jr, 28, during an altercation near the intersection of Harriett Street and South Carolina Avenue.

According to information gathered, Mr. Johnson exited a residence on South Carolina Avenue armed with a handgun and approached Mr. Miles.

Upon seeing the gun, Mr. Miles attempted to leave the area. Mr. Johnson fired at least one round at Mr. Miles striking him.

Miles was transported to an area hospital where he is receiving treatment.

If anyone knows the whereabouts of Rodriekgus Johnson, please contact 911. Anyone with information can also call Crimestoppers at 492-1925 or at https://www.hvcrimestoppers.org/

Henderson Police Department

Rape Arrest and Charges Jan 4, 2018

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Henderson Police Department Press Release – January 5, 2018

On January 4th, 2018 members of the Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigation Section arrested Wilton Leroy Greene, 48, of 1021 Thurston Street, Henderson and charged him with 1st Degree Forcible Rape and 1st Degree Rape of a Juvenile less than 13 years-old. The incident was to have allegedly occurred two years ago involving a juvenile victim. Mr. Greene received a $600,000.00 secured bond and was placed in the Vance County Jail pending a court hearing. The SaM Child Advocacy Center and the Greenville (NC) Police Department assisted with the investigation.

Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow

Henderson Police Department

Shop with a Cop 2017

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Press Release – November 1, 2017

For the 2017 Holiday Season, the Henderson Police Department and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office have partnered with the Vance County Department of Social Services to assist children and families in the City of Henderson and Vance County during the holiday season through the “Shop with a Cop” program.

Funds raised through the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce “Shop with a Cop” raffle and by generous donors will be used to help underprivileged children and struggling families who otherwise would go without during the holidays. Individuals and families selected will have the opportunity to “Shop with a Cop” with one of Henderson’s and Vance County’s law enforcement officers.

Individuals or families wishing to participate in the “Shop with a Cop” program can pick up applications on November 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 13th at the front desk of three locations: the Henderson Police Department at 200 Breckenridge Street; the Vance County Sherriff’s Office at 156 Church Street; and the Department of Social Services at 350 Ruin Creek Road, Henderson.

Completed applications must be returned to any of the three pickup locations no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, November 13th, 2017.

Completing a referral does not guarantee assistance.

Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow

Henderson PD Releases St. Baldrick’s Day Cornhole Tournament Details

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St. Baldrick’s Day Cornhole Tournament

Saturday, April 29, 2017 at the Henderson Police Department

Registration: 11:30 a.m. Tournament Begins: 12:30 a.m.

Boards: The boards measure 2ft. in width 4ft. in length. The hole is 6” diameter, measured 9” from the top of the board to the center of the hole. Bags: The bags being used are 6” X 6” in size and weigh 16 oz. Spacing: Each board will be positioned at a distance of 27’ from the front of one board to the other. All boards and bags will be provided by the sponsor.  No personal boards or bags will be allowed.

Tournament Format

This will be a single elimination tournament. The number of teams will be determined by the number of entries. Team placement is randomly determined prior to the start of the tournament.

Scoring

A coin toss will determine who will throw first to begin the tournament game. Players will alternate throws until all 8 bags have been thrown.

  1. Each bag on the board = 1 point. Each bag in the hole = 3 points.
  2. Any bags touching the ground or “bounced” on the box do not count and are to be removed prior to the next bag being thrown by the opposing team.
  3. Total points for each team are calculated. The team scoring the most points in a round receives their total score.
  4. The team who scores last will have the first throw of the next round.
  5. The first team to achieve a score of 21 points or more will declared the winner. A tie will require extra rounds until a winner is determined.

 

Ground Rules

  1. The winning team is to collect and return all bags and report their final score to the tournament director at the registration table.
  2. There will be a “No Skunk” rule.
  3. The tournament committee will have the final decision regarding any questions or conflicts arising throughout the tournament.
  4. Be polite and courteous at all time.

THANKYOU FOR PARTICIATPION IN THE ST. BALDRICK’S CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT!

We appreciate your support!