THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 27, 1995 TAG: 9505270408
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
While his colleagues patrol the bypass and sweat in heavy summer traffic today, Kill Devil Hills Police Officer Freddy Hampton will be cruising the beach in an open-top, off-road vehicle.
He'll wear shorts and a baseball cap. He'll ride right on the sand. And he'll be out there every weekend, and by the end of June, Hampton will be on the beach every day.
This is the first summer that uniformed police officers will be working on the sand on a regular basis. Nags Head began its first daily police beach patrol on Thursday.
``Primarily, we wanted an officer out there to be a deterrent for misbehavior and make people feel comfortable and safe that our beaches are being protected,'' Kill Devil Hills Police Chief James Gradeless said. ``We don't think we have a lot of crime on the beach. But we're hoping to prevent any possible problems out there.''
Nags Head Police Chief Charles Cameron agreed. ``Before, we had a civilian animal control officer on the beach on a sporadic basis. But we felt a uniformed officer out there on the sand could be part of a very positive experience for both our residents and visitors. This is a pilot program that we're just putting into place,'' Cameron said.
``It's mostly an educational mission. Enforcement is an option. But we hope that will be the last resort.''
Like other officers, Hampton and the Nags Head beach patrol officer will carry a gun at all times. They'll be looking for people breaking the law, of course. But they'll also act as emissaries to the public, helping tourists find certain landmarks and directing them to the area's offerings.
``He'll be watching for littering, dog violations, four-wheel drives without permits, glass on the beach, surfing violations and other things of that nature,'' Gradeless said. ``But we're going to be very reasonable. He's got a softer uniform than the other officers. It's not intimidating. He'll be very approachable - and helpful - for the public.''
With five miles of seashore in Kill Devil Hills and more than 10 miles of oceanfront in Nags Head, those two towns probably have the most densely populated beaches on the Outer Banks. Other towns' police department spokesmen said they do not have the manpower - nor see the necessity - to begin beach patrols. Town-sponsored lifeguards perform similar duties in Kitty Hawk and Southern Shores.
``We have guys in all-terrain vehicles that make random patrols along the Duck beaches,'' Dare County Sheriff's Department Spokesman Jasper Williams said Friday. ``But they're not out there on any regular basis. On Hatteras Island, the National Park Service pretty much takes care of the beach patrols.''
Hampton is a school resource officer in Kill Devil Hills. So putting him on the beach during summer vacation was a natural choice, Gradeless said. Other officers will continue monitoring the beaches after dark.
``We already had the four-wheel-drive for emergencies, so the only money we had to put into this program was for new uniforms,'' said Kill Devil Hills Mayor Terry Gray.
``The beach patrol officer will be a pro-active method for keeping our beaches safe,'' said the mayor. ``He'll be out there to answer questions and handle emergencies. He'll even have a bag full of plastic badges to give to all the children.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON, Staff
Kill Devil Hills Police Officer Freddy Hampton cruises the
oceanfront Friday in a four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicle.
Hampton's beach patrol includes looking for people breaking the law
and also to act as an emissary to the public by helping tourists .
Color photo
...Freddy Hampton...
KEYWORDS: BEACH PATROL by CNB