Only one birthdate per customer...

A field interview by Officer W.K. Sawyer on Wednesday afternoon resulted in the arrest of a felony fugitive wanted in Mecklenburg County, NC.



Kefauver Roy Berry--He doesn't know how
to spell "Roy Johnson"

Officer Sawyer observed a man panhandling for money in the parking lot of SHEETZ at the intersection of Tenth Street & Charles Blvd, and stopped to speak with the man.   The man provided Officer Sawyer with the name "Roy Johnson,"  but the man then didn't know how to spell it.  He also provided Officer Sawyer with 2 different birthdates. 

Officer Sawyer continued to try to speak with the man about panhandling, when the man then shoved Officer Sawyer and began to run away.

About 5 steps later, the man was in custody and under arrest.

Officer Sawyer's continued investigation found that the man was actually Kefauver Roy Berry, a felon wanted for drug violations in Charlotte, NC.

Berry was arrested and charged with Assault on a Police Officer,  Felony ID Theft, and Resist, Delay, & Obstruct of a Police Officer.

Berry is from Kinston, NC but is wanted in Charlotte for felony possession of cocaine.  He is being held at the Pitt County jail under a $10,000 secured bond, pending transport back to Mecklenburg County.

  

Timeliness...

It seems that the most tragic crimes and horrible events in America's recent history have been episodes of senseless killing where some warped individuals have acted out their death agendas in public places that should be considered sacred and safe.  

Unexplainable and frustrating is the fact that these killings seem to take place for no other reason than to kill and injure as many innocent people as possible.  

Ever since the 1999 school shootings at Columbine, Colorado, police officers across the nation have been training for a response to what is commonly called the "active shooter" situation. 

In training for such scenarios, police learn to respond with intensity and speed.  This training dictates that as soon as at least 2 police officers arrive at a scene,  they should enter the scene and move to the sound of the gunfire.  Police officers responding to the report of an active shooter must  quickly evaluate and confirm the reports, and then act accordingly.

The officers' objectives must be to stop the shooter first.  Officers must move immediately, swiftly,  and purposefully to locate and stop a shooter, and thus save as many lives as possible.

As additional officers arrive on scene, they will form teams and also deploy into the building.  Additional officers will secure and evacuate bystanders and victims, and begin the process of first aid.  

Training for these scenarios involves tactical movement as a group through buildings, along with communications to other responders.  It also involves contacting the shooter and stopping him with whatever force is necessary.

The Greenville Police Department annually trains for active shooter situations. 

While a SWAT Team is perhaps the best trained unit for responding to tactical situations,  it is the individual uniformed patrol officer who will be at the tip of the spear in an active shooter situation, at least until additional supporting units arrive and deploy.    

Knowing that the patrol officer will be first on the scene and first in the door is why officers train for these scenarios.  Time is of the essence in an active shooter situation.

ACCREDITATION ASSESSMENT TEAM INVITES

PUBLIC COMMENT

A team of national assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will arrive on Saturday, August 11, 2012 to examine all aspects of the Greenville Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Interim Chief Joe Bartlett announced today.

Verification by the team that Greenville Police Department meets the Commission’s professional standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation, considered a high recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.  The Greenville Police Department first received its accredited status in November of 1995 and has been successful in maintaining the high expectations and identified professional standards since that time.  The Department must be assessed every three years and is now up for its fifth reaccreditation assessment.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Monday, August 13, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The session will be conducted in the first floor training rooms at the Greenville Police Department located at 500 S Greene Street.

If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the Public Information Session but would still like to provide comments to the Assessment Team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call (252) 329-4595 on Sunday, August 12, 2012 between the hours of 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.

A copy of the standards is available at the Greenville Police Department. The local contact is Corporal Cathy Williams, Accreditation Manager, 252-329-4835.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Greenville Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathecote Blvd., Ste. 320 Gainesville, VA 20155

The Accreditation Program Manager for Greenville Police Department is Corporal Cathy Williams. She said the Assessment Team is composed of law enforcement professionals from out-of-state agencies that are usually similar in size to the agency they are assessing. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed.

The assessors are: Chief Michael Dickey of the Fairfield, Ohio Police Department and Commander Melvin Lange of the North Palm Beach, Florida Department of Public Safety. Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, a full written report will be sent to the Commission. Members of the Commission will then decide if the agency is to be granted re-accredited status.

Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., please write the Commission at 13575 Heathecote Blvd., Ste. 320 Gainesville, VA 20155; or call (800) 368-3757.

Asking questions...

Good patrol officers are inquisitive and curious, and are not afraid to ask questions.  So when Officers J. Simmons and K. Garner spotted a rental car from Perquimans County riding around Hemby Lane in Greenville Thursday morning at 2:00 a.m.,  they stopped the driver to ask a few questions.

Hemby lane is convenient to Stantonsburg Road and Arlington Blvd, and there are several convenience stores very close by.

When the Greenville officers asked the driver and his passenger why they were in the area at that time of night, and where they were going,  the officers soon found the 2 men had no real answers.    At some point in this process, reasonable suspicion begins to develop that maybe these guys aren't tourists and are not lost in Greenville.  

The late hour of the night, along with the unexplainable presence of these 2 men in an area where they are not conducting any legitimate activity,  leads the officers to dig a little deeper and ask a few more questions. 

Soon enough, the officers found the 2 men were carrying a pistol-grip pump shotgun with them.  Now reasonable suspicion is growing into something larger.  Probable cause has been developed that these men are carrying a concealed weapon. But certainly something needs to be explored further.

The 2 men are detained for questioning by the patrol officers, and detectives from the Major Crimes Unit are summoned. 

These 2 men closely fit the description of 2 men who robbed a convenience store in this same area in Greenville last week.  Their shotgun matches the same weapon description that was seen on surveillance video of the robbery.

Additional questioning by detectives develops evidence enough to conclude these 2 men weren't just riding around Greenville, enjoying the cool night air.  

An armed robbery is solved.  Another armed robbery is likely to have been prevented.  Because a couple of police officers did their jobs.

hot topics in the news...

Domestic Violence has been in the news a lot recently.

Most municpal police departments in North Carolina do not handle very many civil processes.  Domestic Violence Protective Orders is one exception to this.

A domestic violence protective order (DVPO) is also called a restraining order.  In police jargon, it's called a 50-B.   A DVPO is a paper signed by a judge and it orders an abuser to stop the abuse or face serious legal consequences.  A DVPO offers civil legal protection from domestic violence to both women and men victims.

A person can seek legal protection from acts of domestic violence done to you or your minor child by someone you have had a "personal relationship" with. This means you can seek protection from:

• Your spouse, or ex-spouse,
• A person of the opposite sex [or same sex] with whom you live or used to live,
• Someone you are related to, including parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren, over the age of 16,
• Someone with whom you have a child in common,
• A current or former household member, or
• Someone of the opposite sex [or same sex] whom you are dating or have dated.

The Greenville Police Department provides assistance to victims who need to obtain a DVPO by walking them through the application process, and accompanying them to see a judge or magistrate to have a DVPO signed.    Once a DVPO is signed and issued,  the Sheriff's office is responsible by law for serving the DVPO against the abuser.    The DVPO is enforced by police officers and sheriff's deputies.

A DVPO is initially valid until an "ex parte" hearing is held.  That is a hearing between the victim and a judge, where the victim tells the judge about their situation.  The abuser is not allowed to be there.  The judge will decide whether or not to extend the DVPO until another hearing is held.  

In that 2nd hearing, the abuser will have an opportunity to speak and be heard.  In this hearing,  the judge will ask the questions of all parties involved.  A person does not need an attorney and would not be cross-examined.  It is a civil hearing, not a trial.  GPD victim's advocates and detectives often attend the DVPO hearings with the victims and assist them through these processes.

After hearing from all parties, the judge will then make a ruling and may issue the DVPO, valid for up to 1 year.  

If an abuser violates the DVPO,  he [or she] can be arrested and charged with a crime. 

The victim in a DVPO situation needs to keep a copy of the court order with them in a safe place all the while that the DVPO is in effect.

Helping each other..

North Carolina Law allows a police chief or sheriff to provide law enforcement assistance to anoher agency when a request for assistance is made in writing.  These requests are known as "mutual aid."  

Mutual aid requests are generally made for a specific event such as a parade, sporting event, or festival.   Mutual aid is not used for day-to-day activities.   A few agreements are continuous, and provide for agencies to participate in long-term criminal investigations and task forces that cross jurisdictional and geographic boundaries.

The Greenville Police Department provides mutual aid assistance to law enforcement agencies around Pitt County on a regular basis.  Also,  Greenville receives aid from different agencies on a regular basis.    Halloween is a good example of this situation.

Most law enforcement agencies in Pitt County have pre-signed mutual aid agreements with all other agencies in the county, so that written requests are not needed everytime another agency asks for help.

Sometimes  a request will be made that is outside the realm of normal, day-to-day mutual aid.   During the week  of September 3-6, 2012,  The Greenville Police Department will send between 15-20 police officers to assist the Charlotte Mecklenburg PD with the management of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.  Nearly every major NC police department and NC sheriff's office will provide personnel to assist with that major event.

While in Charlotte,  officers may be assigned to provide security for delegates, assist with traffic direction, monitor and protect demonstrators and speakers, and provide other security-related duties.

While providing mutual aid, a visiting law enforcement officer is authorized the same legal power and authority he would normally have if he were in his own jurisdiction. He also has the same immunities and protections he would normally have at his own agency.   While providing assistance, an officer is under the command and authority of the requesting agency head.

The department providing the assistance generally pays the salaries and benefits of the officers it provides.  There may be rare exceptions to this, such as when an Emergency Disaster Declaration is made by the State or Federal Governments.

In 1999, during Hurricane Floyd,  Law enforcement officers from all over the state of NC came to Greenville for almost 20 days to assist the GPD with the management of safety and security details while the City was flooded from hurricane waters.  Mutual aid assistance is a 2-way street, necessary to the continous functioning of a department that may be under stress or overwhelmed by logistical problems relating to a particular situation.

Mutual aid assistance allows an agency to successfully manage a critical event without undue costs, which would otherwise completely overwhelm a department's personnel and equipment resources.

Stranger danger, again...

Detectives from the Greenville Police Department are investigating the reports of a suspicious man who is preying on intoxicated college-aged women, and committing sexual assaults against them.

In at least two separate cases,  women have reported that they had been in different nightclubs in downtown Greenville and were very intoxicated.  The women told police they met a man who offered to see they get home safely, and that he sexually assaulted them.  One the women was assaulted in her home,  the other one was assaulted behind a building on E. 4th Street.

The first incident occurred on March 20, 2012.  The second incident took place on July 1, 2012.  In both cases, the suspect description and suspect M.O. were the same:  Both women describe the man as a black male with dreadlocks,  very neatly dressed.  The man told both women he would walk them home to make certain they got home safely.

Detectives are concerned there may be other incidents of sexual assaults by this suspect, which have not yet been reported.

The Greenville Police Department advises everyone against at-risk behaviors such as binge drinking, and against walking home alone after having consumed alcohol.  The Department further advises women to be cautious of strangers who may offer them safe passage home late at night.

Any person who may have information about this suspect, or any person who may have experienced a similar assault, is asked to contact Detective Corporal Lori Cleary of the Greenville Police Department's Special Victims Unit, at 252-329-4157.