Speakers included Detective Michelle Pollard, Pitt County Sheriff's Office, who outlined the general gang problems in the county; Ofcr Tracy Gilreath, Greenville PD, who spoke on the gang issue in Greenville; Winterville town attorney Keen Lassiter who addressed quality of life issues such as community appearance ordinances; Pitt County assistant district attorney Glen Perry who provided the prosecutorial perspective and Dr. John Kerbs, East Carolina University School of Criminal Justice, who spoke about federal funding programs and application procedures.
Several citizens addressed the meeting and uniformly agreed that the problems of drugs and gangs can only be addressed by a cooperative effort of the entire community and its social institutions in support of the police and courts. Much of the discussion focused on the need for early intervention with at-risk children engaged in school misbehavior. The need to act now with local resources instead of relying on federal money and oversight was clearly recognized.
Mr. Henderson, who is coordinating a series of countywide meetings on these issues, was very supportive of police efforts and called for even greater community interest to address the caused of juvenile delinquency before they become entrenched in the community.
The official meeting lasted until 8:30p.m. but attendees remained until 10:00p.m. discussing issues in small groups, sharing resources and networking for future cooperative efforts. I will be holding a follow-up meeting with Mr. Henderson and several church leaders in mid-May to establish the groundwork for a continuing program to keep drugs and gangs out of Winterville. Interested parties are encouraged to contact me at 756-1105 for assistance or to offer your help with this emerging problem.
