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Pittsboro police report training gains, cadet program success and camera system aiding investigations
Summary
At the March 10 meeting the town's police chief summarized 2023-24 staffing, training and technology, highlighting a cadet-to-officer program, a new evidence custodian and use of Flock camera footage in multiple investigations.
The Town of Pittsboro's police chief told the Board of Commissioners on March 10 that the department increased training hours, completed a local cadet program that produced four commissioned officers and has begun using a Flock camera system that aided several investigations.
The chief said the department recorded 1,231 training hours (reported for the most recent year) and has expanded its patrol staffing after hiring a second investigator in October 2024. The department currently operates two patrol officers on most shifts and expects to fill two vacancies within about a month; the chief said he plans to request funding for two additional patrol officers to reach stronger daytime and nighttime coverage.
The department's local cadet program graduated four officers who began solo patrol in July 2024, the chief said. The department reorganized evidence-room responsibilities and assigned its new administrative assistant, identified in the meeting as Miss Burley, as evidence custodian to improve chain-of-custody and record keeping.
The town's Flock camera network went live in January 2024, the chief said, and stores data for 30 days. The chief described several results tied to camera footage: identification of five stolen vehicles and a license plate, assistance to another agency on a missing-person case, and locating a missing person from Maple Heights, Ohio, who was found after being captured on camera while traveling through Pittsboro. The chief said the system also helped link a stolen vehicle to a reported theft in Carrboro.
Calls for service in 2024 totaled 9,416, according to the chief's summary; top call types included hang-ups, burglary/alarms and suspicious conditions. The department reported that 38% of calls were self-initiated by officers.
The chief emphasized the department's community-policing activities, its interagency cooperation during Hurricane Helene relief efforts and plans to continue investments in training and staffing.
The chief spoke at length; commissioners asked clarifying questions but did not take formal action on police staffing or budgeting at the March 10 meeting.
