Sheriff Christopher Thomas said the Onslow County SheriffOffice has created a Community Service Unit to provide sustained attention to neighborhood problems that are not large criminal matters but affect residentsquality of life.

Thomas said growth in the county increased demand for calls for service and that patrol deputies often must "get calls cleared" quickly to move on to other calls. The CSU will be staffed initially by two deputies — Deputy Howard Schamel and Deputy Donovan — who can return to problem locations, "negotiate or settle issues within the communities," and help restart community watch programs, Thomas said.

Deputy Howard Schamel described CSU goals as reactivating and creating community watch groups, building neighborhood awareness and giving deputies more time to observe trends and perform targeted crime prevention or enforcement (for example, addressing patterns of car break-ins). He said residents and HOAs can invite CSU staff to meetings; the first point of contact is Captain Dixon at the sheriff's office.

Thomas said the unit is intended to strengthen personal connections between the sheriff's office and residents so the office can "not only come and address the situation at the moment" but also return and ensure the situation remains resolved. He said the program will expand as demand grows.

Ending: The sheriff's office asked residents who want to form or reactivate community watch programs to contact Captain Dixon; deputies said the CSU will focus on neighborhood outreach, prevention, and targeted enforcement.