WINGATE, N.C. — Town leaders in Wingate voted to dissolve the town’s police department, shifting law enforcement responsibilities to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Spectrum News 1 reported.
The Wingate Town Council approved the move in a 4-1 vote on July 15, citing long-term cost savings. The decision will affect the small department serving the community of roughly 4,000 residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
Town officials said the transition will allow Union County deputies to assume public safety duties within town limits.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the Wingate Police Department expressed disappointment with the outcome, saying officers were “devastated” by the decision.
“We would like to share how much we love and support our community,” the post said. “Our officers couldn’t ask for better residents.”
The timeline for the transition to the sheriff’s office has not yet been announced.
Joseph Huffaker and Brendan Jacy Tatum, while working as Rohnert Park officers, targeted drivers, telling them “they were federal agents to scare them”
The pressure to fill the vacant positions ahead of the World Cup is coupled with a need to reduce the number of overtime hours that put a large dent in the city budget this year
On May 24, 1996, Officer Kelvin Patrick and his partner had stopped to speak with a pair of juveniles when they opened fire, striking both officers and partially paralyzing Patrick
The video shows one officer pinned between the car’s door and a steel beam as the suspect reverses his vehicle
