THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
On most nights, quiet rules the streets of this Roanoke Island community. The crime rate is low, and some residents say they rarely lock their doors. Some don't even bother to take the keys out of the car.
But town officials say that in an effort to increase community involvement in maintaining law and order, the North Carolina Justice Academy is conducting a survey of Manteo residents to help define the role of the police in this historic village of 1,300.
``I've gotten a lot of calls from people wanting to know what the problem was, or if something was wrong,'' Town Manager Kermit Skinner said Tuesday. ``But we're very proud of the work our Police Department has done.
``This is just a proactive step to take this department to a higher level of professionalism, and a higher level of community involvement.''
A five-page questionnaire, requested by Police Chief James Ray Flowers, was mailed by the academy to every household in the town. Skinner said the survey, done at a cost of about $2,500, was part of a long-range plan developed during the town's budget process last year.
With the help of a facilitator from the University of North Carolina's Institute of Government, the town's board of commissioners decided help was needed to define the department's goals.
``One of the things that kept coming up was that instead of dealing with the needs of the department, vehicle by vehicle, we needed to take a long look at what the Police Department's mission should be,'' Skinner said. ``We needed to find answers to questions like, `Should we have stricter traffic enforcement?' and things like that.''
The survey asks residents to rank the priorities for police officers. For instance, residents are asked to rate in importance: burglaries, drug violations, gambling, credit card fraud, check forgery, assault, auto theft or child neglect.
Another category asks for priorities on home security checks for vacationers, assists for people locked out of their cars, vehicle accident investigations, school truancy checks, business security inspections, teaching children pedestrian safety, checking on the welfare of senior cities, and assisting stranded motorists.
Residents also are asked how they feel about local police, and how they view police performance.
Respondents are not required to identify themselves, but they are asked to list their age, race, sex and extent of community involvement.
Chet Jernigan, manager of the academy in Salemsburg, said the Manteo survey will be among the most expansive ever undertaken by his agency, an arm of the North Carolina Department of Justice.
``A unique feature of this is that we sent a copy of the survey to every household and business served by the Manteo water system,'' Jernigan said. ``We've also never asked for this much information before.''
Jernigan said the academy will not only rely on the survey, but on meetings next week with police officers, town officials and the public. A meeting will be held next Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. to get public input on the Police Department's role in the community. Results of the survey should be available by late February or early March.
Skinner said the survey is part of an effort by town officials to build community-based law enforcement. The newly elected mayor and town board have established a community police board. The panel's function, Skinner said, will not be a disciplinary one.
``We want to have greater public involvement in law enforcement,'' Skinner said. ``This is similar to the kind of input we sought when we developed the land-use plan.''
Jernigan said: ``The benefit will be a clearer mission, and clearer goals. We'll also be able to give the town an assessment of what their manpower needs are, and as needed, bring procedures in line with what's accepted in the 1990s.''
The Manteo Police Department has an annual budget of $286,360, with six officers. In all, the department employs 23 people. by CNB