In Wingate, a town council vote has ushered in a significant shift in law enforcement operations, with the local police department set to be dissolved and its duties transferred to the Union County Sheriff’s Office. The decision, made yesterday in a 4-to-1 vote, was not without controversy. Participants spoke out during a public comment period, bringing to light a community divided on how they perceive the need for change within the town's policing structure.
According to a Queen City News report, the council session included impassioned appeals from Wingate Police officers, with Officer Sterling Hall stating, "Our future is on the chopping block." Hall's plea was directed at maintaining the police force and to involve the community, saying, "We will be at peace, one thing that will give us peace is to hear from the residents of Wingate of what they want." Despite these requests, some locals criticized the officers' intervention during the council's recess, highlighting tensions surrounding this pivotal decision.
As outlined by a report from WBTV, under the new agreement, the sheriff's office will provide four full-time deputies to patrol Wingate. Town Manager Brad Sellers had previously mentioned that high turnover and limited funding made it difficult to staff the police department effectively. The expected savings are substantial, touted to be around $300,000 in the first year alone. However, Councilman John Lowery emphasized that the choice was rooted in performance, not finances, saying, "Our main objective was to make sure people of this town were policed and policed properly. That’s what we did tonight."
The shift towards the Union County Sheriff’s Office comes after a period wherein the sheriff's deputies were already responding to calls in Wingate, indicating a pre-existing operational need. As informed by Spectrum Local News, during the first week of July, sheriff’s deputies addressed 21 calls in town. The move also reflects a longer-term financial strategy to ease the municipality's burdens, further evidenced by the town's decision to favor the perceived efficiencies presented by the county-wide force.
Responses to the department's dissolution have been mixed; officer Sterling Hall described himself as "heartbroken," following the council meeting. His sentiment reflects a wider apprehension among the town's law enforcement officers, who took to Facebook to express their dedication, "Our officers couldn’t ask for better residents," the post conveyed. An official date for the formal end of the Wingate Police Department has yet to be announced as the town continues to navigate this transitional phase.
