too cold to go bike at 2 am riding without a ski cap....

At about 2:45 a.m. this morning, Monday November 25, patrol officers from the Field Operations Bureau spotted 16-year old Haseen Branch of Greenville on Clifton Street with two bicycles near the intersection of Evans St. and Arlington Blvd.   Officers stopped Branch to investigate why he was out with two bicycles at such a late hour and in below-freezing weather.

Officers then saw a black book bag about 25 feet away.  Further investigation found the bag contained a pair of bolt cutters, eight ski caps, and a sweater with all the sales tags still affixed.

Officers then spotted 21-year old Debracey Barnes as Barnes was coming out of the Kangaroo store near the intersection.  Upon seeing the police officers, Barnes fled across Arlington Blvd toward Commerce Street. The officers were unable to pursure Barnes, but alerted other officers nearby.

A police dog was called to the scene and backtracked from where the officers encountered Branch to a storage unit behind Gordon's Golf & Ski at 207 E. Arlington Blvd.  The storage unit had been burglarized, and the ski caps and sweater belonged to the business.

Police arrested Haseen Branch, and charged him with one count each of Felony Breaking & Entering, Larceny after Breaking & Entering, Felony Possession of Burglary tools, and Felony Conspiracy.  Branch was jailed under a $50,000 secured bond.

Detectives responded to the call, and after further investigation obtained similar arrest warrants against Debracey Barnes, 21-years old, of Greenville.  Barnes is a repeat offender, well known to law enforcement.  He remained at large this morning.  Anyone with information on Barnes should call Greenville Police at 329-4315. 

citizens in the academy...

The Greenville Police Department completed its 2013 Citizen’s Police Academy on November 11, graduating 16 people.  The Citizen’s Police Academy is an opportunity for City residents to learn about the inner workings of the Police Department and to gain an understanding of police operations.   The academy gives our citizens first-hand information on how and why the Department operates, and it provides an excellent opportunity for the citizens to interact with police officers.

The academy is a ten-week program which provides the community first-hand information on the role of police officers in the Greenville Police Department.  Attendees meet once each week from 7 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The program involves both classroom and interactive instruction. Participants are given the same information that police recruits and officers receive.

Graduates experience a variety of law Enforcement related topics over a ten week period, such as:

·         Hot Spot Policing

·         Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

·         Community Liaison Program

·         Citizens on Patrol program

·         Forensics (including hands-on latent fingerprint and lifting and analysis)

·         The criminal investigations process

·         Canine Unit demonstrations

·         Animal Control Unit overview

·         Code Enforcement

·         Crisis Intervention Unit

·         Street Crimes Unit and field operations as a patrol officer

·         Narcotics enforcement

·         Traffic Safety Unit (explored the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety

     Commission BAT MOBILE)

·         Real time firearms & drivers safety scenario simulators

·         Ride-along with police officers

The Department will host its next Citizen’s Police Academy in the spring of 2014.  Persons interested in participating may contact the Crime Prevention Unit for more information at 252-329-4339.

that's a lot of prison...

The Greenville Police Department and the Pitt County District Attorney announce the successful trial and conviction of Linwood Earl Duffie on three counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony conspiracy.  For these crimes, the 55 year old Duffie will serve between 37 and 48 years in prison.

Duffie was convicted in Pitt County Superior Court for the following offenses:

1.    Wilco-Hess, 612 SW Greenville BV, Greenville, NC on  April 30, 2013 

a.    Robbery with a dangerous weapon

b.    Felony conspiracy

2.    Family Dollar Store, 631 Worthington Road, Winterville NC on April 28, 2013  

a.    Robbery with a dangerous weapon

b.    Felony conspiracy

3.    Emerald City Business Service Sweepstakes, Greenville Blvd, on April 22, 2013 

a.    Robbery with a dangerous weapon

b.    Felony conspiracy

Duffie was arrested on May 21 shortly after committing the armed robbery of a Dollar General in Chocowinity.  In that case, a timely witness provided the suspect vehicle license plate to police. 

After searching the database of a GPD Traffic Safety Unit’s automated license plate reader, officers determined that same suspect vehicle had been seen near Carriage House apartments in April of this year.   Officers and detectives responded to that area and located Duffie’s white Ford Explorer in the parking lot.

Alerted to police, Duffie barricaded himself inside an apartment, which caused Charles Blvd to be closed for several hours while the Greenville Police Emergency Response Team responded.  Duffie was later taken into custody without incident.         

Duffie is a career criminal with a history that dates back to 1977 when he was first charged and convicted of armed robbery as an adult.  Other notable facts include:

·         Over the past 36 years, Duffie has been in and out of the prison system on charges ranging from breaking and entering, drug possession, assault, and armed robbery.

·         He has been arrested at least 25 times from 1977 and 2013

·         Between 1977 and 2013 Duffie has spent 21 years in jails or prison.

Duffie still faces one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon for the Chocowinity crime that occurred on May 21.