Extra cop
approved
at Central

By JEFFERSON WEAVER

The Whiteville City Council Tuesday approved a request from the city school board to provide more police coverage at and around Central Middle School.

The council voted for $8,455 in funding to allow a police presence at the school from 3:30-5:30 p.m. daily.

School resource officers are already on campus from 7:45 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., and are paid for through a contract with the schools.

The city will fund the additional manhours through 5:30 p.m. for the remainder of the school year.

The town began providing more police presence in the area after a series of shootings and other crimes near the school.

School Superintendent Danny McPherson and Police Chief Jerry Britt told the board the extended hours would provide safety for after-school programs, as well as personnel who remain after hours to tutor students or do other work.

“Anything after 5:30 will be paid for by the schools,” Britt said.

Security for ball games is already funded separately, McPherson said.

The additional hours will require working overtime for the officers, Britt said. The chief explained that the resource officers currently patrol the school grounds as well as the nearby park areas.

“The officer’s presence in those areas also helps secure the school,” he said. “The officers can see what kind of trouble might be coming onto school grounds, and they are still available within seconds if there is a problem at the school.”

Several councilmen asked McPherson and Britt to clarify exactly what areas near the school are patrolled.

Councilman Harold Troy was especially interested in police presence near the Columbus County DREAM Center, which is run by his wife, Evelyn.

The chief told the board that there are often three officers, including the on-duty resource officer, within blocks of the school. One officer is constantly patrolling the public housing projects. Regular patrolmen are also assigned to the area during busy periods.

Britt explained that if an emergency occurs, the resource officers “are Whiteville Police officers first and foremost.”

While the resource officers positions don’t affect regular patrols, Britt said, the officers will back up regular patrolmen if needed.

“The school understands if an officer requires assistance,” he said, “that all units will respond to help that officer. The school officer won’t run to every alarm call or minor car accident, but if an emergency occurs, he’s going to respond.

“By maintaining good visibility,” Britt said, “we can keep crime from occurring.”

Mayor Dial Gray said he approves of the area patrols.

“It seems to me if you stop a crime from taking place nearby,” he said, “you’re keeping a crime from coming onto campus.”

Troy was hesitant about the extended patrol areas of the SROs.

“What purpose does it serve to be there to protect the school from outsiders or students if the officer isn’t in the school?” he asked.

“The officers’ purpose is to protect the school, period,” Gray said. “… if he can arrest a criminal nearby, the criminal will never get on the school campus.”

The funding measure was approved on a motion by Robert Leder and a second by Howard Jones.

Troy cast the sole dissenting vote. He said he doesn’t mind supporting the move, but he wants more specific duties and patrol areas for the officers.

“I hope the school and Chief Britt will get together and nail down some parameters,” he said.

McPherson and Britt said they plan to get together in the near future to discuss what areas will be patrolled.