November 8, 2006
Veterans Day
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September 6, 2006
Bike Rodeo
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August 1, 2006
National Night Out
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view the photo gallery
On patrol with Officer Friendly
This month Waters Carpet Center and family hosted a chicken pastry lunch open to the public complete with green beans, candied yams, potato salad, cornbread and birthday cake. Home cooked by Ms. Edna Barber and served buffet style, the lunch was attended by dozens of appreciative friends and neighbors who have come to treasure these old fashioned gatherings not just for the wonderful food but the sense of community friendship rarely found in our modern lifestyle.
Honorees on this occasion were Robert Britton celebrating his 65th birthday and Mike Waters commemorating his 49th. Host Buddy Waters took the opportunity to thank Mr. Britton publicly for his years of faithful work with Waters Carpet, calling him one of the most important people in the business.
It is acts of kindness like this that make living and working in Winterville such a joy. On behalf of all those in Winterville who enjoyed the event and who can't thank you themselves, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Waters family for a great lunch and their continued friendship with the Winterville community.
On patrol with Officer Friendly
During the tour the group was able to observe Ofcr Corey Dixon conduct an actual field test of an unknown substance to determine if it was an illegal drug. The younger members of the group were then taken through the booking process including a visit to the interrogation room, given a fingerprinting demonstration and actually have their "mug shots" taken for a souvenir. Each participant also received a junior police badge and candy as a parting gift.
Our kids are precious treasures and this department's number one mission focus. If you would like to visit the department or have a speaker come to your group please contact me at 756-1105.
On patrol with Officer Friendly
As part of the Governor's Highway Safety Program, technicians from the Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention program provided guidance to parents on the proper purchasing of seats as well as inspecting and correcting those seats that were improperly installed. The Winterville Police Department hosted the event as part of a month long, countywide project in cooperation with other area law enforcement agencies and the Lenoir County SAFE KIDS Network.
The patient participants were rewarded with a wide selection of toys for the youngsters as well as a chance for the adults to win the project's grand prize at a drawing on May 6th. Donna Heath and Ellen Watson both won the grand prizes, which were $100 gift cards. Heath won a $100 gift card to Food Lion and Watson won a $100 gift card to Wal-Mart.
Anyone needing child safety seat information can contact Jennifer King, Children's Safety Coordinator at 847-8532 or your local law enforcement agency.
On patrol with Officer Friendly
First, it is a well-known fact of criminology that the best defense against crime is a neighbor who cares enough to be observant and call the police. In today's hectic society we seem to have lost much of the camaraderie of bygone years that knit neighbors together. These relationships were very helpful in times of illness, hardship and mutual security. We all know that today's environment is far less child-friendly than when we were young. Events like block parties are opportunities to cultivate that sense of community that helps provide an invisible shield of protection around everyone in the neighborhood, especially the kids. If we teach our kids not to trust strangers don't we need to get to know and befriend those families that live closest to us? We need to rediscover those neighborly relationships that can help us watch over our children at play, attend to their bruised knees and provide safe haven in times of possible danger when we are not there. The cost and effort are nothing compared to the safety and peace of mind provided by good neighbors.
Another good reason for block parties is that the kids got to play with McGruff and I got a chance to discuss the neighborhood watch program with the adults. It's a fact that criminals frequent locations where they believe their activities will not be observed or reported. Neighborhood watch signs are red flags to criminals who realize that participating neighbors are concerned enough about crime to band together and be alert for suspicious activity. And the beauty of neighborhood watch programs is that they are designed to meet the needs of specific neighborhoods so they can be as simple or advanced as the participants desire. Most importantly, you are never asked to do anything that you're uncomfortable with and participation is geared not to add to your already busy schedule! It really is a no cost program that returns huge rewards for little or no effort.
I encourage all of our neighborhoods to consider periodic gatherings just for the fun of it! It was a great time for everyone regardless of age. If you'd like McGruff or a member of the department to come visit or speak about the neighborhood watch program please call us at 756-1105.
copyright 2006 Winterville Police Department