Topics Related to DPS Dispatch

When a group of us set out for Greensboro this week to work alongside other volunteers assisting with clearing debris in a neighborhood ravaged by a tornado, I’m not sure everyone knew what to expect. Many often see pictures or video on the news of areas hit by tornadoes, but when we saw the damage in the Woodbriar Estates neighborhood hit hard by nature’s wrath on Sunday, April 15, it was mind-blowing and heartbreaking. At the same time, it was heartwarming to see volunteers hard at work trying to help the neighborhood start the awesome task of cleaning up and repairing their homes.

Few would call the field of law enforcement an easy career path to follow. Being a police officer has always had its challenges, but for many women in years past, just getting on the force in a profession so heavily dominated by men was daunting. Societal changes have seen more and more female officers enter police ranks in recent years. That is a positive trend. However, the women who were the first to serve at their departments and who convinced sometimes skeptical brother officers they could hold their own still deserve our thanks.

When administrators, managers and staff members of NCDPS Community Corrections met in Raleigh for their annual managers’ meeting, they came prepared to work, strategize, and to hear Director Tracy Lee’s vision for making the department and its employees better. But day one of the interactive agenda faded to silence when the guest speaker of the day clipped the tiny microphone onto his jacket lapel.

When there is a major incident that captures the headlines, people will talk about it, form committees and dust off response plans in the days and weeks following, all with the best intentions. Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks and a small group that met this week in Greensboro want to ensure the dust never settles on the topic of school safety.

North Carolina is changing the way it trains new correctional officers so they are better prepared for the roles they play inside the state’s prisons.

The first meeting of the Prison Reform Advisory Board on March 20 was another important step in the endeavor towards improving operations and making prisons safer for employees, the inmates, visitors and ultimately the public.

Leaders of the state’s 55 prisons repeatedly heard two consistent messages from senior management and presenters during their meetings in Raleigh on March 12-13: You are the messenger in your facilities, and it is essential to communicate and listen to your staff.

“You run the facilities. You have the knowledge. That’s why you are there,” Director of Prisons Kenneth Lassiter told the group.

The Juvenile Justice Section recognized five of its general instructors earlier this month during an awards ceremony held during the Section’s annual General Instructors meeting.

Kimberly Quintus, Director of the Juvenile Jurisdiction Reinvestment Act, led the awards ceremony, and Deputy Secretary William Lassiter presented awards to the following individuals during the March 2 event:

2017 Juvenile Justice Instructor of the Year: LaTonya Middleton

Court Counselor, District 11 (Harnett, Lee, Johnston counties)

Loyal. Compassionate. Visionary. Those are just a few of the words friends and colleagues used to describe Scott Hunter, the longest-serving chief in the history of State Capitol Police.

Twenty-four men and women proudly took the oath of office as they became graduates of the first basic probation/parole officer training in 2018.

Family members, friends and trainers watched as Superior Court Judge Vince Rozier delivered the oath at a special ceremony held at the Office of Staff Development and Training Complex in Apex.

Community Corrections Director Tracy Lee was keynote speaker for the ceremony. He shared wisdom from his early career as a Probation/Parole Officer in Charlotte, North Carolina.