Law enforcement officers and first responders in Goldsboro and Wayne County have had no shortage of challenges thrown their way over the last several weeks, and local leaders shared their thoughts on the men and women who protect our community ahead of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on Tuesday.

Since Dec. 22, there have been two homicides in Wayne County, including the shooting death of a 17-year-old victim. Multiple robberies and breaking-and-entering crimes have occurred in recent weeks, and a Jan. 2 shooting left three people injured.

The Jan. 4 active shooter situation at the Berkeley Mall forced the mall to close for the remainder of the day, while Greenwood Middle School, North Drive Elementary, and Meadow Lane Elementary were all locked down.

Despite admittedly not pursuing a career in law enforcement for public appreciation or acknowledgment, Goldsboro Police Chief Michael West said given the recent challenges his department has faced, appreciation goes a long way.

“I think currently with the way we’re situated now it’s going to be the little things that make the biggest difference to the officers because obviously they’re working out here under some trying circumstances as far as staffing and what’s going on in the community,” West said. “From my standpoint, I didn’t get into the business or the profession to get accolades or “thank you’s” or all that. That’s just not the way I’m geared, But, I will tell you in the past couple of years when people do come by and say, “Thank you,” it makes a big difference to us. Right now that means a lot.”

Goldsboro Mayor Charles Gaylor spoke of his appreciation for the men and women who protect Goldsboro along with their importance to the community.

“The men and women who wear our uniforms are truly a special breed,” Gaylor said. “Our community simply cannot function without a well-administered rule of law, and I’m incredibly grateful for the men and women who choose to wear our uniform and stay with us for an entire career. I believe it’s our responsibility to make sure those men and women are treated fairly, are shown how much they’re appreciated, and are given all the resources they need to be successful in their jobs.”

Gaylor also spoke to the responsibility of Goldsboro citizens to show appreciation to law enforcement officers beyond simply their words, but also by their actions and working in conjunction with those who protect our community.

“We as a City Council, we as a city have to give (law enforcement) the tools that they need to do their job, but we as a community also have to give them the tools they need to do their job,” Gaylor said. “I’m responsible for funding, and cars, and badges, and belts, and uniforms, and equipment, that goes inside the car and on the belt. But the community has some of the most valuable tools that can possibly be given to an officer and that’s information and relationships. That’s what is so needed, and if a neighborhood wants to show true appreciation to an officer, they need to find out who is working their beat, and they need to have a conversation with them, and help them understand the nuances of the neighborhood. In doing so, the quality of life will improve. In doing so, the relationships with law enforcement for our youth, as well as our adults will improve. And of course, the effectiveness of law enforcement will improve. If you want to show appreciation, don’t just tell someone, “Thank you,” show them “Thank you.”

The increased volume of crime over the last several weeks has been concerning to West and Gaylor, while also helping bring to awareness to the day-to-day focus of those tasked with keeping Goldsboro and its residents safe.

“I appreciate the fact that they still know there’s still a job to do they perform the job admirably and they do it effectively,” West said. “We’ve had a lot thrown at us over the last probably six weeks, but all the incidents we’ve had and I’ve looked at, I’m satisfied with the way we’ve handled it. I don’t think we’ve come up short in any regard. But they respond well, and we’ve always been able to do well with less. And sometimes we feel like maybe that’s expected, but they step up to the plate every time, and I really couldn’t ask for anything more out of them.”

The Jan. 4 incident at Berkeley Mall drew a response from the Goldsboro Police Department, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, and local firefighters. The collaboration between multiple agencies and the familiarity with working together allowed the situation to be resolved quickly, while also apprehending three suspects involved.

“It’s kind of second nature for us,” West said. “We train a lot with our partner agencies whether it’s the county, the state, or other municipal agencies. It’s very satisfying when unfortunately we do have an event like that within the first 15. 20 or 30 minutes we’ve got multiple agencies on the scene and being as how we’ve trained with them for quite some time, they know their role and kind of plugin and know where they’re at and what they need to do. It’s always satisfying to see we’ve got a very strong law enforcement community within the county and within the state, and we all work well together. I will say also, the community kind of stepped up to the plate by providing us information that we needed, and stayed there with us and say what they say.”

The regularly occurring Coffee with a Cop events that give Goldsboro citizens an opportunity to interact with officers at local coffee shops have yielded helpful feedback for West and his staff. West hopes to see similar events scheduled in the future.

“The officers that attend Coffee with a Cop always come back with information that the public obviously provided, something a citizen asked them about and we find out during these Coffee with a Cop meetings that, there needs to be more information that we probably need to be pushing out,” West said. “People may not know that when they go on vacation we can do a house check on their residence. Coffee with a Cop gives us an opportunity to what the public has to say to us or about us, and then it also lets us know where we may need to do better. I hope to do more with Coffee with a Cop, and there are other things we can do where we can engage the community on a more frequent basis.”

In 2023, the Goldsboro City Council approved pay increases for the Goldsboro Police Department to try to attract new applicants in an effort to offset vacancies within the department. On Monday, West noted that the department currently has 31 vacancies, 20 of which are currently frozen by the city.

“I think we have 31 vacancies, we were at 36, so we’re heading in the right direction,” West said. “We just brought on five that we put into BLET (basic law enforcement training), so that was a big help to us. They’ll probably graduate in August and hit the street. I think we’re somewhat competitive with area agencies, and I just want people to understand, that we’re not the only agency in Wayne County that’s got a staffing shortage. Twenty of those vacancies are frozen, 15 of those of 20 have been frozen for four or five years, and the additional five we froze a couple of years ago. What I’m looking to hire now is those 11 positions, and I’m pretty confident once I fill those, and I get down to the point where I’ve got frozen positions I need to fill, the City Manager and the City Council would be willing to unfreeze those positions as we go. I’m sure we’ll get to where we need to be.”