THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 21, 1995 TAG: 9507210531
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
City residents have long enjoyed the ability to walk into the police station at any time and receive service or assistance.
But the station's 24-hour policy has outlived its usefulness, Chief H.L. Bunch told the City Council's Public Safety Committee on Thursday.
As city departments scramble to meet a council goal to reduce staff by 10 percent, Bunch has recommended taking advantage of two resignations to reduce the time the station is open to the public.
``We have devised a method by which these positions won't have to be replaced,'' Bunch said in proposing that the station be open to the public only during business hours.
By closing its doors at 5 p.m. and not replacing the resigning dispatcher and clerical worker, Bunch said, the department could save thousands of dollars and could devote more manpower to crime prevention.
The need to keep the station open constantly has been reduced by the smaller number of night walk-in visitors and by the transfer of the magistrate's office to the county courthouse, Bunch said. He said Elizabeth City's station is the only one in the area that is open 24 hours.For emergencies, Bunch said, a phone could be placed outside the office linked directly to Central Communications, which would contact an officer.
Bunch, who has discussed the plan with acting City Manager Victor Sharpe, recommended trying the new procedure for 90 days.
The three council members at the meeting, Jimi Sutton, Anita Hummer and Myrtle Rivers, seemed receptive to the idea. They said residents should have a chance to comment.
``I think it should be brought before a public forum,'' Hummer said after the meeting. ``We're going to take a lot of heat over it. . . . There's some pros and cons.''
Bunch addressed the members during a special meeting called by Sutton, who chairs the Public Safety Committee and raised a number of concerns Monday night about fire department and emergency procedures.
The police chief also told council members that a mobile trailer that was donated and outfitted for community policing efforts this spring should be staffed in about two months.
Council members had questioned whether the trailer, which has appeared at a couple of special events, was being used to its potential. But Bunch said he needed to fill some vacant positions before it could be put into crime-ridden communities for prevention efforts.
``We will get that trailer out on the street,'' Bunch said. ``There's no doubt about it. I just can't sit here and say we can do it today.''
Fire Chief Tedd Melvin, flanked by several Fire Department officials, was on hand to respond to Sutton's complaints that heavy fire equipment was being used to run errands and make food stops.
``I can assure you there is no leisurely riding on the streets of Elizabeth City or anyplace else,'' Melvin said.
Trucks are often out during the day to inspect companies and deliver smoke detectors to residents, Melvin said. And firefighters who ``bust their butts 16 hours a day at a minimum'' do sometimes drive to fast food restaurants for meals, he said.
Rivers asked why the department sent so much equipment, including its ladder truck, to even seemingly minor fire calls. Melvin said the procedure helped maintain a good insurance rating and was necessary if a situation got out of hand.
``It's for your protection as far as legality goes,'' Melvin said, noting that the city faces a lawsuit claiming it did not respond properly to a damaging fire last year.
``You're already into one suit,'' Melvin said. ``You want to look at another one?''
The council members did not say whether Melvin's answers had satisfied their concerns.
``Right now, we're just going to hash out the answers that we got and see if we can find a way to improve the operation,'' Sutton said after the meeting, adding that he was raising concerns brought to him by constituents. ``Maybe we can find a better way, or a way that will be less offensive to the community, to do it.'' by CNB