THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, January 2, 1997             TAG: 9701020063
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY                    LENGTH:   43 lines

ATTITUDE TOP QUALITY FOR POLICE OFFICERS, CHIEF TELLS GRADUATES

Twenty-one Basic Law Enforcement Training graduates have been told by Ray Davis, Kill Devil Hills chief of police, that ``attitude, conscientiousness and competence'' are the key elements in a good officer.

``Attitude, in my book, is one of the most important attributes an officer can have,'' Davis told the graduates recently at the College of Albemarle Auditorium. ``You have to keep an open mind and be ready to adjust to a situation.''

Davis said that attitude is important to keep morale up within the department. ``You can have an outstanding department and one bad officer can pull down the whole department,'' he said.

Officers need to be conscientious about all of their assignments, Davis said.

``Every assignment you receive has its own merit. Whether it's a fender-bender or a homicide, it's the most important thing to that person at the moment,'' Davis said.

On the subject of competence, Davis said that officers need to continue to learn and to stay abreast of new laws.

``You can't stop learning from this day on - the laws are constantly changing,'' he said. ``A lot rests on your shoulders, and if you're not keeping abreast of changes in the legal system, you're going to be behind the times.''

Erle Solesbee of Chowan County, who had a 96 average on the class's 53 tests, was the top student. Tim Brabble of Chowan County was second in the class.

Other graduates included Benjamin Thomas Barrick, Currituck County; Clarence W. Boone III, Dare County; Richard R. Byrum, Perquimans County; Wirth Fenton Chory, Perquimans County; Andre Lewis Creech, Virginia Beach; Adam Charles Dickerson, Dare County; William T. Harris, Pasquotank County; Charles Hosick, Dare County; Larry Dyrone James, Pasquotank County; DeOnna L. Kohler, Pasquotank County; Leigh Denise Layden, Pasquotank County; Shawn Douglas McKimmey, Dare County; Dean Richard McManus, Dare County; Jennifer Purvis Nichols, Currituck County; Gregory Michael Padilla, Dare County; John Braxton Vaught, Dare County; Aaron Lee Wallio, Pasquotank County; Sean Lloyd Ward, Dare County; and Carol Harnett Whitback, Currituck County.