Inmate escapes from Piedmont Correctional Institution

Corrections and law enforcement officers are seeking inmate Ronald Pritt, who escaped Monday, Feb. 27, from a work assignment at Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury.
Pritt, 35, is a minimum-custody inmate serving a three-year sentence for habitual drunk driving. He was due for release in July.
Pritt was working as a groundskeeper outside the fence on prison property when he went missing. He was last seen about 2:30 p.m.
Anyone who has seen this inmate or has information on his whereabouts should call 911 or local law enforcement.

Juvenile escapes near Goldsboro while in transportation custody from court

A 16-year-old male committed to the custody of the Division of Juvenile Justice and placed at Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center in Concord has escaped while in transport from a juvenile court visit in Goldsboro.
The juvenile—identified as “Ishmael,” last initial “B”—was last seen on U.S. 70 West outside of Goldsboro between Leslie Road and Edgar Street at 10:30 a.m. The juvenile’s home county is Wayne County.
Juvenile Justice has notified local law enforcement and is cooperating fully with the investigation. Due to the unpredictability of juvenile behavior during an escape, the division has a high degree of concern for the safety of both the juvenile and the public. This juvenile has a history of assaultive behavior.
This is the most recently taken photograph of the juvenile escapee. If you see this juvenile, please contact local law enforcement.

Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign kicks off

Chapel Hill Police Department and the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Public Safety will kick off the Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
The Town of Chapel Hill is considering a proposed ordinance to ban talking on hand-held cellphones and hands-free cellphones—or both—while driving on town streets. In conjunction with the proposed ordinance, the council asked that a program be developed to educate the public about the dangers of driving while talking or texting on cell phones. A public hearing on the proposed ordinance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall.
Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Younger, inexperienced drivers younger than 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes. In addition, studies show that texting while driving can delay a driver's reaction time just as severely as having a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver.
Studies show that there is no difference in the risks between hands-free and hand-held cell phone conversations, both of which can result in inattention blindness, which occurs when the brain isn't seeing what is clearly visible because the drivers' focus is on the phone conversation and not on the road.
There are simple measures drivers can take to minimize distractions in the vehicle:
• Turn off phone or put it out of reach before starting the car.
• Alert callers of inability to take calls when driving by changing voicemail message.
• Make it a point not to call or text anyone who may be driving, such as during the commute to and from work or school, especially parents calling teen drivers.
• If there is a need to make an important call or respond to a text message, pull over to a safe place to do so.
For more information about the Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign, contact Catherine Lazorko, public information officer for the Town of Chapel Hill, at (919) 969-5055 or clazorko@townofchapelhill.org.

Hillsborough seeks help stopping metal thefts

The Town of Hillsborough is asking residents to be on the lookout for anyone who may be stealing manhole covers, storm grates or meter box lids.
Two manhole covers were stolen in separate incidents in January from behind Heritage Apartments in southern Hillsborough. The covers weigh about 100 to 120 pounds and are valued at an estimated $100 each. Their removal poses a safety risk because of the danger of someone falling into the holes and being injured or killed.
Late last year, steel storm grates also were stolen from around Hillsborough, with a total value of $1,900. One grate was stolen from the Kerr Drug parking lot on U.S. 70 in November, and four were stolen from College Park Drive in the Waterstone development in October.
Residents are asked to call 911 immediately if they see someone removing a manhole cover, storm grate, valve box or meter box lid who does not have a Town of Hillsborough uniform or vehicle with the town logo. Residents are asked to try to get the vehicle’s license plate number if possible.

Hillsborough police, UNC Habitat to resume tutoring Jan. 23

Free tutoring sessions offered by the Hillsborough Police Department and UNC Habitat for Humanity will restart Jan. 23.
The sessions—available to youths in Orange County Schools—will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. every Monday and Tuesday at the Community Policing Substation, 501 Rainey Ave. UNC students will offer tutoring in all subjects except computers.
The Police Department and UNC Habitat began offering the free tutoring in 2008.
For more information or to register, contact Cpl. Tereasa King at (919) 732-2441, ext. 26.

Hillsborough starts team aimed at alcohol law enforcement

The Hillsborough Police Department—in a partnership with the Orange County ABC Board and the Northern Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth—has started an Alcohol Law Enforcement Response Team to focus on alcohol-related crimes enforcement.
The eight officers currently on the team have received additional training, including training on ABC laws and procedures; constitutional law and search and seizure; party dispersal; campus law enforcement options; and documentation and report writing. The ALERT officers will focus on:
• DWI and alcohol-related traffic enforcement
• Compliance operations targeting sales to underage buyers
• ABC enforcement
• Party response
• Public and youth education.

For more information, see the Jan. 11 edition of the News of Orange,

New K9 joins Hillsborough Police Department

A new K9 officer is joining the Hillsborough Police Department in January, filling a vacancy that will be created by the retirement of one of the department’s current K9s, Sampson.
See the Wednesday, Jan. 11, edition of the News of Orange for more information on new K9 officer Viper.

Apply to join Orange County's Emergency Services Work Group by Jan. 4

One major way residents can have a positive impact on the future of Orange County is to volunteer to serve on the various County advisory boards and commissions.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners is currently recruiting two resident volunteers for the Orange County Emergency Services Work Group. This work group will address issues related to improving public safety for the residents of Orange County, such as:
• Review of the VIPER ( Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders) original design and implementation and strategies to improve coverage and capacity;
• E911 Communications Center Improvement Plan;
• Discussion with the Board of Commissioners regarding plans to improve the EMS delivery system;
• Review of Fire Department issues relating to fire protection districts, fire insurance districts, and fire tax districts as related to property insurance ratings.
If interested, apply online.
For more information, select "Orange County Emergency Services Work Group" under "Boards and Commissions Listing" or call Donna Baker at (919) 245-2130 or Jeanette Jones at (919) 245-2125.
Deadline for applications is Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012.
With more than 30 different boards and commissions, volunteers appointed by the Board of County Commissioners have an opportunity to influence the way of life in Orange County.

Community watch holds event to raise money for new K-9

Hillsborough Police Department proudly boasts two K-9s, Sampson and Talon, a substantial feat considering many small communities the nation over don't even have one.
As evidenced by the thorough demonstrations at the Saturday, April 30, fundraising event, the police dogs provide crucial support to officers—from tracking suspects, finding discarded items, detecting narcotics to even locating lost or missing people.
But Sampson—who turns 10 in July and has worked on the force for eight years—will retire over the summer. Since the training and purchase of a new K-9 costs about $10,000, the HPD and community watch groups have turned to the community for support.
For more information, see the Wednesday, May 4, edition of the News of Orange.

Hillsborough cop apprehends robbery suspect

A Hillsborough police officer captured and arrested a robbery suspect Tuesday night, March 1, shortly after a person was robbed at a bank on South Churton Street while trying to make a deposit.

At 9:25 p.m. March 1, officers responded to a call of a robbery at the BB&T bank at 351 S. Churton St. Officers, who were nearby when the call was dispatched, arrived in moments and learned the victim—Christine Gattis, an employee of Dollar General at 110 Rebecca Drive—had been attempting to make a night deposit when she was knocked to the ground and her deposit bags taken.

Officer Nicholas Chelenza, who immediately started checking the area around the bank after the call was dispatched, spotted a man riding a bicycle away from the bank on Ja-Max Drive a short distance from the bank. The officer attempted to stop the man, who kept riding the bicycle initially, then abandoned it and fled on foot. Chelenza chased the subject, eventually capturing him behind another business. Two deposit bags were recovered from the subject.

“This was not just a case of officers just being in the right place at the right time,” Hillsborough Police Chief Duane Hampton said. “It was a case of officers being aware and active during their patrols, responding quickly and professionally and working together.”

Frederick Lamont Wardlow, 37, of 517 Tuliptree Road in Hillsborough, was arrested and charged with common law robbery; resisting and delaying a public officer; and possession of a small amount of marijuana that was found after he was arrested.

Hillsborough police were assisted by officers from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the N.C. Highway Patrol, who responded to the area within minutes. Orange County agencies recently have become better connected through the 800 MHz radio system, a blend of traditional two-way radio technology and computer-controlled transmitters that have enhanced multi-agency cooperation.

“The actions of all the officers involved in responding to this situation and apprehending the suspect speak volumes of the officers themselves,” Hillsborough’s police chief said. “I also want to thank our partner agencies who were on scene so quickly to assist.”

More pictures - K-9 training

Hillsborough Police Department's two K-9s, Sampson and Talon, went through a series of training exercises with their human partners Cpl. Michael Foushee and Cpl. Scott Foster so that I could photograph them for the paper. Unfortunately, not all of the pictures could fit in the paper, so here's a more comprehensive view of what our police K-9s are trained to do!

TIP: To slow the pictures down and fully read the captions, click on the slideshow. It will bring you to a new site (in a new tab) with the slideshow and more viewing options. Click on Gallery View (to the right of the picture) and you'll be able to scroll through as you please!

Coming soon - getting to know your K-9s

Get ready to see and read about the interesting lives of Hillsborough Police Department's two K-9 dogs, Sampson and Talon, as we learn about their lives from birth to their working years. Most people know very little about what police dogs actually do, where the come from, how they learn their skills - and I must admit, I was one of those people. But after meeting Sampson and Talon, after seeing the incredible way they interact with their handlers, I've realized that these great teddy-bear-like dogs have a lot to teach us!
Above - a picture preview! Sampson (top) and Talon rest after an hour's worth of rigorous training.