30 Halloweens...

Interim Chief Joe A. Bartlett is retiring today.  30 years of police work is a long time.  

Chief Bartlett,  or "Jab" as friends know him, was born and raised in Goldsboro.  He graduated from East Carolina and received his Master of Public Administration from ECU.   He started working at the Greenville Police Department shortly after graduation in 1985. 

He has been a dispatcher, patrol officer, Policy Researcher, Vice & Narcotics Supervisor, Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Administration Bureau Commander, Patrol Bureau Commander, Investigations Bureau Commander, Deputy Chief of Police, and Interim Chief of Police.  He is also a graduate of the 182nd session of the FBI National Academy.  It is a very rare process for an officer in law enforcement today to move up through the ranks to become Police Chief, especially in a department as large as Greenville PD.

Chief Bartlett knows the history of this City and its Police Department.  He has seen the Department grow 
from a small town police force to a modern law enforcement agency, recognized state-wide as one of the best.   

He has seen the evolution of the Greenville Police Department go from typewriters and carbon paper, to computers and wireless technology; from blue steel revolvers to polymer and steel semi-automatics.   He was part of the growth of the department from fewer than 75 police offers to over 187 police officers now. 

Throughout his time at the Greenville Police Department, Chief Bartlett has sought to maintain a professional approach to his career.  He has been firm when necessary, and fair at all times. He is a strategic thinker, and he has always put the interests of the Department and its success above his own self interests.

Chief Bartlett enjoys fishing. He has traveled to Montana on many fishing trips, and plans to go fishing in Alaska after he retires.

Jab has been a leader and supervisor.  He has been a manager and a counselor.  He has been a mentor.  He has been a friend.

Jab, you will be missed.

No tricks..

As Halloween nears, the Greenville Police Department offers the following safety tips for making the evening safe and enjoyable for everyone: 

For Parents and Trick- or-Treaters:

• Halloween costumes should be made of fire retardant material and the eye holes should be large enough for good peripheral vision.

• A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children.

• If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you.  Agree on a specific time when they should return home.

• Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.

• Before allowing your children to eat any of the treats, examine them to be sure they are safe to eat.

Drivers should be on the alert for children who may dart out into traffic.  Because pedestrian injuries are the most common injury types to children on Halloween, remind Trick-or-Treaters:

• Carry a cell phone, stay with a group, and communicate where they will be going.

• Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.

• Only cross the street at established crosswalks and don't assume the right of way.  Drivers may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters.

As a reminder, the City’s curfew law remains in effect for Halloween.   Young people under the age of 16 should not be on the streets without adult supervision after 11:00 p.m.  And, as always, call the Greenville Police Department immediately when you suspect crimes or see suspicious activity.

No retirement plan...

On Thursday October 25, at about 3:49 a.m., Greenville Police officers responded to a commercial alarm at the Rite Aid drugstore on Charles Blvd near Fourteenth Street.

A police dog began to track the suspect from the drug store west toward Evans Street and across Evans to Glen Arthur Street, where police had 70-year-old Richard Taylor detained for a field interview.  Officers had seen Taylor as he crossed Evans Street just moments before.

Further investigation by the patrol officers found surveillance videos inside the store confirmed Taylor broke into the drug store. 

Taylor was arrested and jailed under a $15,000 secured bond at the Pitt County Detention Center.  He is charged with one count of felony breaking & entering.

The case remains under investigation.  Additional charges may be brought.  There was no information available as to what was stolen.

Detective work....

Acting on information received from Pitt Greenville CrimeStoppers, detectives from the Greenville Police Department Property Crimes Unit have identified and arrested Richard Taft in reference to a series of apartment burglaries that took place over the past month.   These burglaries occurred along the Firetower Road corridor, on Wimbledon Drive,  Dudley’s Grant, and Firetower Road.   An additional burglary took place on Merry Lane.

Detectives believe that Taft broke in to the apartments during the daylight hours while the residents were at work.  He is believed to have stolen televisions, computers, and other electronics, jewelry, and shoes from at least six apartments.

Detectives obtained arrest warrants against Taft on October 22, 2012.  He was arrested without incident and is charged with the following:

• 4 counts of felony breaking & entering
• 2 counts of attempted felony breaking & entering
• 3 counts of larceny after breaking & entering

Detectives continue to follow up on other cases and additional arrests and charges against Taft may take place.

Taft was jailed under a $45,000 secured bond.

Radio and Telephone communications...

In response to requests from the news media, the Greenville Police Department has retrieved radio and telephone communications from October 17, 2012 regarding the shooting and murder of Benjamin Shields III.  These recordings are part of the public record, and media representatives often request such recordings.    

You can listen to these recordings by following the available web link to Youtube.

Here is the web link to radio and telephone traffic:  Police Communications: Homicide

It is important to remember these recordings are not always in sequential order because different radio channels are being used simultaneously and people are often talking at the the same time on the different frequencies.   Nevertheless, these recordings will provide you with a general understanding of the various events that occur in these situations.

This week at the GPD...

On Thursday October 18, Greenville Police Detectives were called to the scene of a suspicious fire, which had been extinguished prior to police arrival.  

During the overnight hours unknown suspect(s) appear to have used a glass container filled with an unknown flammable liquid to attempt to burn a storage building.  Minimal damage to the building was done.  Smoke damage and melted siding accounts for damage to the exterior of the building. There was no damage to any portion of the building interior.

The Greenville Fire-Rescue Department Fire Marshal also responded and both agencies are cooperatively investigating the incident. Physical evidence was collected at the scene.  There is no suspect information available.  

The case investigation continues.

At about 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday October 16,  Officer Matt Pipken responded to the report of a driver passed out behind the wheel in the travel lane at Evans Street near Greenville Blvd.   When the officer got to the scene, he found a driver asleep and the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road.    

Officer Pipken was able to wake up the driver who, once alert, told the officer, "I have a lot of weed, can you help me out?"    Officer Pipken was able to provide overnight lodging for the man.    Seized was 59 grams of marijuana, packaged for resell, along with $1265 cash.

Quiet professionals..

On Wednesday, October 17, 2012 Greenville Police Corporal Tim McInerney and other members of the US Marshals Eastern District Violent Fugitive Task Force were awarded the William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement at the US Attorney General’s 60th Annual Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC.  

Other members of the Task Force are Pitt County Deputy Sheriff Joe Reason, Kinston PD Detective Jimmy Moody, SBI Special Agent Chris Dawson, and Nash County Sheriff’s Investigator Warren Lewis (posthumous).  

Corporal McInerney was recognized by US Attorney General Eric Holder for his efforts to save fellow Task Force Officer Warren “Sneak” Lewis after Lewis was fatally struck by gunfire while the team was attempting to arrest a murder suspect in Kinston, NC.

Task Force Officers partner with Deputy US Marshals to apprehend violent fugitives in their area.  This team is responsible in part for the closing over 3,300 fugitive warrants in Eastern North Carolina.

why...

Working with CrimeStoppers, Greenville Police Officers have identified and arrested the 2 suspects who stalked, beat, and robbed a 62-year old man earlier this week.   The video of the 2 young suspects, one 16-years old, the other one 20-years old, clearly shows these hoodlums as they watch several people come and go in a local convenience store.  They are as vultures, waiting for an appropriate victim before they swoop down.

The 2 robbers chose Mr.  Roy Wooten for whatever reason, and then they waited outside the store in ambush for him.  They attacked and beat him, and they robbed him of $98.  For those who watched this video, it seems to beg the question of "Why?." 

People ask, "Why are some young people so hardened that they will attack and beat an old man?"  Other people want to know,  "Why don't the police do more to stop this kind of violence?"

Violence and crime are in large measure symptoms of other problems.   The Greenville Police Department is trying, through community policing efforts such as PAL,  Project Equal,  Project Success, and other activities, to address the root problems;  disenfranchisement, a lack of role models, apathy, and a hopelessness which causes young people to choose a path away from a productive life and into one of despair and crime;  A life short-lived and destined for an early grave.  These 2 young men are a result of those problems.   But make no mistake about, they had a choice and chose to go down the wrong path. However, it might have helped if somebody had been around more to help guide them toward the right path and to make the right choices.

Please join the Greenville Police Department's efforts in combating crime.  You can help.  You can participate in Neighborhood Watch.   You can mentor young people.   You can raise your children to be good citizens.  You can help be a guide and help young people make the right choice.   At the end of the day, it's still their choice and they have to be the ones to choose correctly, but it helps to have some guidance.

This community needs you.   Get involved. 

You know why.

Awareness....

Just plain mean...

At about 7:20 pm on Monday October 8, 2012, two suspects seen in the attached photograph and video link attacked and robbed a 62-year old man in the parking lot of the Kangaroo Convenience Store near the intersection of S. Evans Street and Arlington Blvd.

Both suspects waited inside the convenience store for several minutes before the assault.  They appeared to be watching different customers before deciding on a victim.  The suspects then went outside the store and waited for their intended victim, Mr. Roy L. Wooten, to come outside.

Who Are These Predators?

The suspects attacked and beat the Mr. Wooten before being chased away by the store’s clerk.  A police canine tracked the suspects for a short distance and police did recover the Mr. Wooten’s wallet in a nearby parking lot.

Anyone who can identify these two suspects should call the Greenville Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit and speak with Detective A. Elias, at 252-329-4705.

Pitt-Greenville CrimeStoppers will pay a reward for information that leads to an arrest in this case.  Call CrimeStoppers at 252-758-7777.

Here is a link to the video:   Surveillance Video

On the calendar...

This week at the Police Department:

•  There is a Town Hall meeting at Koinoinia Church on Greenville Blvd,  Tuesday evening beginning at  6:30 pm.

• The Tar River Neighborhood Association (TRUNA) is meeting at Sheppard Library on Tuesday, beginning at 7pm.

• The Willow Run Neighborhood Association is meeting in the Neighorhood Park on Wednesday beginning at 6:30 pm

• The Police Community Relations Committee is meeting at Police Headquarters on Wednesday, beginning at 7pm

These meetings are open to the public and residents of the areas are especially encouraged to attend.

Unsung Heroine..

Read today's Daily Reflector and learn a little bit about our strategic efforts at saving the next generation of kids from living a life of crime and poverty.

Here's the Link;          PROJECT EQUAL

Mrs. Devinder Culver, our Community Projects Coordinator, is the mastermind of so many behind-the scenes programs and projects which are intended to help people lift themselves out of bad circumstances, and she rarely gets the recognition she deserves.  She truly is an unsung heroine for the Greenville Police Department.

Thanks for all you do, Devinder!

Chief Bartlett and Mrs. Devinder Culver

All hallows eve...

Planning  for the 2012 Halloween has begun.    People often ask, mistakenly, why City of Greenville hosts this party downtown.   The correct answer to that question is that Greenville does not host a Halloween party, but we certainly must plan and prepare for it, and manage it successfully in order to minimize the negative impacts and maximize safety for everyone.

All available personnel from the Police Department will be working on Halloween night.   Many will be assigned to the downtown area, while many others will be assigned to work in neighborhoods across the city to try maintain a safe environment for all to enjoy.

Sgt. Hadnott briefs officers on Halloween night

Our Department's planning and preparation for Halloween involves the use of resources from many agencies across the East.  Halloween is an expensive event.  When possible,  personnel schedules are re-arranged to reduce overtime costs.  Still, there are costs related to setting up the needed equipment, and cleaning up afterwards.

Planning for Halloween includes accounting for nearly all possible scenarios.  The Department tries to include plans for everything from basic procedures to medical emergencies, to communications,  meals and breaks for officers, and of course extreme crowd control and even riots.   We plan and prepare for the worst case scenario, and hope for the best case.   

As Halloween approaches, you can read more on what to expect and what the Department is doing to get ready.

Stay tuned.

Be the ball....

On Friday October 5, 2012, the Greenville Police Department Police Athletic League (PAL) is teaming up with former ECU Football Star and NFL New England Patriots running back, Tony Collins, to launch the inaugural TONY COLLINS -- PAL CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT at Ironwood Golf & Country Club.

This charity event will raise money for the Greenville PAL program and the Tony Collins Foundation. 

The Tony Collins Foundation is a non-profit corporation that serves to fund area programs and organizations dedicated to serving young people and helping them achieve success.

This golf tournament will include a celebrity auction, door prizes, a silent auction, contests for the longest drive and closest-to-pin challenge, as well as overall awards for the lowest golf scores.   There will be morning breakfast and an afternoon lunch on the day of the tournament.

On Thursday October 4, The City Hotel & Bistro will host the Celebrity Dinner & Auction, while participants can watch the ECU v UCF football game.

Celebrity NFL football players who will join Tony Collins for this event include Irving Fryar, Stanley Morgan, and Reggie Dupard from the New England Patriots;  Reggie Branch from the Washington Redskins; Howard Stevens from the original Baltimore Colts; Vinson Smith from the Dallas Cowboys; and Doug Smith from the Houston Oilers.

ECU alumni football players attending the tournament include Clint Harris, Eddie Hicks, Jeff Hagen, Harrell Forte, Thomas Mclawhorn, Terry Gallaher, Leander Green, and Junior Smith. 

For more information, contact Jon Curry at 329-4339.   PAL and the Tony Collins Foundation are both 501(c)(3) organizations and all donations made are tax-deductible.

Weekend update...

Here is a summary of case reports from the past weekend.

2012-62867  B,E (mv) occurred 500 E. 11^th Street on 9/29 between 0500-0700 hrs.

Doors were left unsecured to the vehicle, suspect removed a black berry phone, garmin GPS, and an ipod.

12-62851-Breaking, Entering and Larceny (MV) At 1500 Trafalgar Dr. Occurred between 2100 Hrs on 09/29/2012 and 1100 Hrs on 09/30/2012.  Unknown suspect(s) stole a Black 160 GB IPod Classic from a 2012 Mazda RX3. No signs of forced entry. IPod was entered into NCIC.  No Latent recovered due vehicle being wet from last night’s rain. 

2012-62603;  B&E Business, 645A S. Memorial (Jiffy Lube)

Incident occurred between 1900 and 0615 hours.  The suspect broke a plexiglass window on one of the garage doors to gain entry and exited through the rear door. Nothing appeared to be missing and the alarm did not activate until officers opened the office while clearing the building.

2012-62662;  Attempted B&E Vehicle, 3234 Moseley Drive

Incident occurred between 2100 and 0900.  The victim discovered damage to the vehicle caused by prying on the driver’s side door.  No latent evidence. 

2012-62635;  B&E Residential, 3170 #10 Moseley Drive

Incident occurred between 1200 on 9/27 and 2300 on 9/28.  The resident is in jail at PCDC but after being told that someone else was staying in her son’s apartment she went over to find the front door kicked open.  She heard someone jump out of the back window but could not provide a description. 

2012-62677;  Attempted 1^st Degree Burglary, 2148 #207 Silver Maple Lane

Incident occurred around 0530 hours.  The suspect broke a 1^st floor bedroom window but did not appear to make entry. The resident of that room was away but the roommates were at home and upstairs. 

12-62644 - Breaking, Entering and Larceny. (Residential) At 3204-B Parkway Ct. Occurred between 0730 Hrs. on 09/28/2012 and 1100 Hrs on 09/29 2012.  Victim returned home to find the rear door of the residence kicked in.  Taken was a TV and Playstation. The Playstation was entered into NCIC.  Latent evidence was recovered.

12-62354-Breaking & Entering. (Business) 1314 East 10^TH St.  Occurred between  1930 Hrs on 09/27/2012  and 0800 Hrs. on  09/28/2012.  The owner of B&D Auto Sales found the garage bay door glass shattered.