Fremont Police Wayne-Wilson News Leader, Fremont, NC

By Sarah A. Wise
NL Staff Writer
Fremont Police Chief Ron Rawlings is continuing his efforts to improve the Fremont police force from the inside out.
He announced at the board’s June meeting that he has made several new strides in improving the department.
Most notably, he has hired a new officer for the town. Officer Jesse Sanifort joined the force last Monday, and will be serving in the full-time role Chief Rawlings has sought to fill since he began serving Fremont.
Chief Rawlings said that Officer Sanifort will go through a new training and evaluation program for officers, which is another key aspect of Rawlings’ efforts.
Three new evaluation programs have been instituted within the department. The first is the promotion program.
Chief Rawlings said that previously there was no standard method of promoting officers within the department other than a length of service. He is instituting a program in which officers will undergo an assessment of their skills, which includes an evaluation of previous work as well as a testing process.
The second program Chief Rawlings wants to begin is an officer field-training program., which is what new officers will undergo.
Once an officer joins the department, he will receive field-training in all areas necessary to perform his job. Then, as the officer begins working, he will receive daily evaluations in 23 areas to determine his response to the training. He feels this program will help the town to know if an officer is not responding and is not worth the investment of training.
The third program is a daily evaluation program for all officers. Chief Rawlings said he feels this program helps hold officers accountable to standards of the department. The daily evaluations are put in an officer file, and are reviewed on a regular basis by Chief Rawlings. This allows him to commend those who are doing well, and provide opportunities for promotion, as well as reprimanding those that haven’t done well.
“In the long run, it makes the officer accountable for what he does out on the street, and it saves the town a lot in civil liability as well,” he said.
The town board agreed that the programs would benefit the community. Alderman Billy Harvey advocated for instituting similar promotion opportunities in other town departments.
However, some members expressed a need to see results on the streets. “Have you, as chief, seen any improvements out on the streets?” asked Alderman Leon Mooring.
Chief Rawlings replied that the issue of street drugs has improved a lot during his months as chief. He noted that the department had searched a home that week. Though nothing was found, he said their efforts are causing the drug traffic to slow.
“We’re out there and we’re going to make it uncomfortable for them,” he said. “But it’s going to take a long time. This didn’t happen overnight and it’s not going to go away overnight either.”

Issue of 5 July 2007

Headlines

Championship teammates head for college

Election time approaches

Proposed changes for Fremont worker policies

New officer, programs for Fremont police

Wayne Wilson News Leader
113 N. Wilson St., PO Box 158,
Fremont, NC 27830
(919) 242-6301 •
Fax (919) 936-2065

Princeton News Leader
119 W. Edwards St., Princeton, NC 27569
(919) 936-9891
Fax (919) 936-2065