August - North Carolina Department of Public Safety

News for and about employees of the N.C. Department of Public SafetyOn theA u g u s t 2 0 1 2JusticeReinvestmentPages 4-5Also insideSecretary’s Message 2 Profile: Al Ragland 2-3 Tight squeeze 6-7Walk In My Shoes 8-13 ALE awards 14-17 Key legislation 18-19Mystery solved 20 News briefs 21-22 Marking history 23Promotions, retirements & passings 24-25

Time to showhow muchwe careA message fromSecretary Reuben YoungThe 2012 State EmployeesCombined Campaign isquickly approaching, and I encourageeach of you to makea contribution that could be felt locally, statewide oreven around the world.A nearly endless list of non-profit agencies improvea community’s well-being, feeding the hungry,helping the elderly, nourishing a child’s development,providing disaster relief, supporting victimrelatedservices, enouraging cultural programs, protectingthe environment or caring for animals. Yourdonation, large or small, to any of non-profit organizationsoffered in this year’s campaign makes animportant impact on the health of our world.Choosing from among the 1,000 local, nationaland worldwide non-profit organizations may be thehardest part. You may already contribute to individualorganizations independently, but keep in mindthat the SECC is the only workplace giving programauthorized for payroll deduction for state employees.The collective impact of those donations does make adifference.The campaign begins Aug. 30 and ends Nov. 10.This year’s Combined Campaign exectives are: TeresaCreech for Administration, Janice King forAdult Correction, Allison Jourdan for CommunityCorrections, Susan Rogers for Correction Enterprises,Barry Bryant and Tricia Hamilton for JuvenileJustice, Lt. Steven Massey and Suzell Crosswhitefor Law Enforcement, and Terry Jones and KarenPardue for Prisons Administration.With your help, we can surpass last year’s combinedtotal from our three former departments, whichwas $468,242. Now is the time to show how muchwe care for these various charities and the good theydo in lifting hearts, souls and minds.The department’s campaign coordinators willbe delivering a donation form, along with the list ofcharitable organizations. I encourage each employeeto open your hearts and give as generously as youcan to the organizations that are most meaningful toyou.Thank you in advance for choosing the State EmployeesCombined Campaign as your way to donateto causes and organizations that make our world abetter place. Your contribution is proof that you careabout your community. Together, we can make a difference.x2 | On the Scene | August 2012Profile in LeadershipAl Ragland Director, Human ResourcesAs director, Al Ragland leadsthe Department of PublicSafety’s Human Resourcesfunction for more than 25,000employees across the state. Heis responsible for organizationstructure, employee relations,organization developmentand performance,recruiting, classification,compensation, benefits,policies, procedures andculture.Prior to joining PublicSafety, Ragland wassenior vice president ofHeadway WorkforceSolutions, City ofWilmington chief humanresource officer/director, Tekelec seniorvice president of HumanResources and vicepresident of communityand government relations,Sony Ericsson MobileCommunications vice presidentof Human Resources,Ericsson Inc. vice presidentof Human Resources, an independentconsultant and anadjunct lecturer at the NorthCarolina State UniversitySchool of Management.He earned a bachelor ofscience degree in businessmanagement and economicsat Fayetteville State University,and has completed the ExecutiveManagement Institute and the Bank Director’sInstitute at the University of North Carolina atChapel Hill and the Office of the Banking Commissioner.Ragland has served in leadership capacitieson several boards, among them Fayetteville StateUniversity’s School of Management & Economics,Paragon Commercial Bank, the Society of HumanResource Managers, the Food Bank of Central/Eastern North Carolina, the Morrisville Chamberof Commerce, Saint Ambrose Episcopal Church,the Carolina Ballet, the Wake County Blue RibbonCommittee on The Future Growth of Wake CountySee Ragland on page 3

August 2012 | On the Scene | 3Raglandfrom page 2and the Wake Education Partnership.Among his appointments are: Chair of the State Personnel Commission (by Gov.Bev Perdue); Blue Ribbon Committee on the Future Growth of Wake County (by thechair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners); honorary co-chair for the expansionof Wake Med’s Western Wake Hospital; and past president and state director ofthe Raleigh/Wake Chapter of the Society of Human Resources Managers. Ragland is arecipient of the Business Coordinator of the Year Award – Inroads, the Saint AmbroseEpiscopal Church Laymen League Man of the Year Award, and several managementawards for performance and leadership by Fortune 1,000 companies.Ragland resides in Cary with his wife, Hilda, who is vice president of Progress EnergyCorporate Public Affairs. Their daughter, Katherine, is a graduate of N.C. StateUniversity and a recent graduate student of Emory University’s Public Health Programin Atlanta, Ga., now working for Thomson Reuters in Richmond, Va.To help us get to know him better, On the Scene asked Ragland:What do you want to be sure employees know about you?“I want employees to know that I am customer-focused, results-oriented and atrusted partner in working with both leaders and employees in our organization to fulfillthe expectations for the citizens in North Carolina.“The majority of my career has been in the business of people in both the privateand public sectors. While we may rely on technology and other tools to achieve ourwork, let me tell you, people make it happen day in and day out. Nothing moves withoutpeople, and I rely on talented people to make the difference in what we deliver toour customers. That requires that we clearly understand and buy into constant growthin ourselves to exceed expectations of our customers both internal and external.“That mindset was instilled by my parents and has remained with me since I wasa little boy growing up on the farm. Long days, hard work and a sense of accomplishmentis what drives me today to do my very best and expect the same from my colleaguesand coworkers. It is important to me that I maintain those values from earlylife and it represents who I am today. This can only be achieved if we believe in thenotion of a positive attitude, sense of urgency and solution orientation.“The reason we are all here is to ensure what we do will add value to our customerin an efficient and effective manner. We are all measured by what we say we will doand by what we do to create a high level of trust from our customers as if DPS wereour business and they would come back again for your service/product that you provide.I think of what we do as a business that we want to succeed, and it takes talentedpeople like we have to make that happen, which creates a win-win situation where thestate wins and each employee wins in growing their careers.”What makes you comfortable with your job?“Easy — I like to surround myself with talented people who are highly motivated,with a sense of urgency and focused on exceeding the expectations of our customers.Sharing my learned experience with my team and colleagues, allows me to learn fromthem, too. I am fortunate to work with a talented leadership team that is resourceful,willing to listen/share with each other thereby allowing each of us to draw on thestrengths the team possesses for the enrichment of our new department, DPS.”What do you like to do in your free time?“Being a workaholic, my free time is limited, but spending time with my family,volunteering in the community, church and golf when I can work it in, which is only afew times a year.”What did you want to do when you were young?“While I was pretty good at basketball in high school, I still have not gotten thatcall from the NBA. Oh well. So my dream as a young fellow was to be a firefighteror law enforcement officer. This would allow me the opportunity to work with peoplewho share in the belief of “to protect and to serve others.” Today, as the head of HRfor DPS, I get to somehow experience it by working closely with an organization thatdoes just that — protect and serve. What more could I ask for!?” x‘I think of whatwe do as abusiness that wewant to succeed,and it takestalented peoplelike we haveto make thathappen.’— Al Ragland

4 | On the Scene | August 2012Among the 17 statesthat have passedJustice Reinvestmentlegislation,North Carolina isbeing looked atas a leader.This huge pieceof legislationaffects not onlycorrections, butmuch of ourjudicial family.Justice ReinvestmentPublic Safety gets in gear for new era in adult correctionsDavid GuiceBy Keith Acree, Communications OfficerRALEIGH | Eight months ago, the provisionsof the Justice Reinvestment Acttook effect, marking the most significantchanges to North Carolina’s criminalsentencing practices since StructuredSentencing took effect in 1994.Described as a bi-partisan and datadrivenapproach to criminal justicepolicy, Justice Reinvestment is designedto manage the growth of the prison populationand create better outcomes foroffenders by targeting programming andtreatment to reduce recidivism. Some ofthe savings generated by reducing theprison population are to be reinvested incommunity treatment to keep offendersfrom coming back to prison.Created with the guidance of theCouncil on State Government’s JusticeCenter, the act was signed into law inJune 2011 by Gov. Bev Perdue. It wassupported by lawmakers from both partiesalong with leaders of our state’s judicialsystem.“When the Justice Reinvestmentbill passed, our resources were focusedon implementation and training,” saidJennie Lancaster, chief deputy secretaryfor adult correction. “These lasteight months have involved hours oftraining for corrections staff and planningwith external stakeholders.”North Carolina is one of 17 statesthat have passed Justice Reinvestmentlegislation.“North Carolina is beinglooked at as a leaderamong these states,”said community correctionssection chief DavidGuice, who was one ofthe principal architects ofNorth Carolina’s legislationwhen he served in thestate legislature. Guice hasmade several appearancesin other states to discuss North Carolina’sefforts. “This is a huge piece oflegislation that affects not only corrections,but much of our judicial family,”he said.“We should be reinvesting about $4.5million a year back into treatment andstaff,” based on experiences of otherstates, Guice said. “I think we’re goingto see that.”As they began examining North Carolina’scriminal justice data in 2010, theanalysts at the Council of State Governmentswere startled by one finding: Underexisting law, eighty-five percent ofthe inmates leaving North Carolina prisonsreceived no supervision at all, andwere accountable to no one for their actions.The recidivism rate for this groupwas high – more than one-third returnedto prison within three years.That surprise finding led to a keyrecommendation that became part ofthe legislation. Post-release supervisionwas expanded to include all felons leavingprison, instead of just the felons inthe highest felony classes. Today, thehigh-level felons receive 12 months ofsupervision and the lower levels get ninemonths.As a result, the population supervisedby probation officers is expectedto swell by about 15,000 people, butthe number of those who return to morecostly prison incarceration will drop.In this year’s legislative session, thedepartment sought approximately 250additional community correction positionsto deal with this expected growthin the offender population. The legislaturedid not provide new positions, butinstead gave the agency the authority toreclassify vacant positions to meet thisneed.Other provisions of the Justice ReinvestmentAct strengthened probationsupervision by giving probation officersthe authority to respond swiftly to violators,ordering them to jail for shortperiods of two to three days. This immediateresponse, known as a “quick-dip”confinement, differs from the previ-See Justice on page 5

6 | On the Scene | August 2012HART goesdeep, narrowOn July 7, a HART teamextracted an injuredhiker who was strandedon a rock ledge in BurkeCounty.By Capt. Rick Scogginsand Sgt 1 st Class Robert JordanNCNG Public AffairsRALEIGH | There is something to besaid about teamwork. One of the bestexamples of this is the partnership thatexists among North Carolina EmergencyManagement, the N.C. National Guard,State Highway Patrol and local rescueagencies. Together, they work towardthe common goal of serving the citizensin North Carolina.One of these critical assets in NCEMis the Department of Public Safety’sHelicopter and Aquatic Rescue Team,referred to as NCHART, which combinesNCNG and Highway Patrol aviationassets with the skills of local rescuetechnicians.NCHART first-responders train yearround to be ready to deploy all over thestate in order to conduct a wide varietyof rescue operations, ranging fromassisting people who are stranded byflooding due to severe storms or are incapacitatedby injury in the mountains.“This is a great example of NorthCarolinians taking care of North Carolina,”said Tim Rogers, a battalion chiefwith the Charlotte Fire Department, aftera recent exercise earlier this spring inSalisbury.NCHART works together with a networkof aviators from the NCNG, whofly the UH-60 Blackhawk and LH-72Lakota helicopters, to State HighwayPatrol aviators who fly the Bell 407, tolocal first responders.No mission succeeds without properplanning, which is perhaps the crowningachievement of NCHART under NCEMleadership. Emergency Managementprofessionals have developed an efficientand successful method to deploythese assets where and when they areneeded throughout the state.Since the inception of the NCHARTSee HART, page 7

HARTfrom page 6program, the collaborative efforts ofNCEM, the National Guard and otheragencies have resulted in several realworldrescues. The rescues have fostereda strong bond between the agencies.“This is the ultimate team-buildingand problem-solving exercise,” saidArmy Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jeff Gordon,a standardization officer with CompanyC, 1st Battalion, 131st AviationRegiment, headquartered in Salisbury.Regular practice and training on updatedrescue methods is the key to success.First responders must complete 80hours of intensive training just to qualifyfor the team. The teams regularly trainacross the state. Training consists ofland and water-based rescue techniques.NCHART and the National Guardconducted water training in New Bern,July 25-26.“The exercise was well carried out,”said Ron Harrington, a lieutenant withNew Bern Fire and Rescue. “It showedthe talent of the HART team. They canrespond and extract subjects from justabout any scenario, and they’re welltrained in these capabilities.”North Carolina is a state of great naturalbeauty with high mountains, broadlakes and deep forests. These beautifulattractions are also hazards. In Julyalone, NCHART completed two rescues,bringing together all of the training,planning and practice. On July 7,the team extracted an injured hiker whowas stranded on a rock ledge in BurkeCounty. The team rescued another injuredhiker July 16 from Cold Mountainin Haywood County.Recently, a hiker near Pisgah Mountainwas hurt in rocky and steep terrainand could not be reached by ground rescue.After assessing the situation, localfirst responders called NCEM for help.NCEM leaders dispatched NCHARTrescue technicians and a NCNG UH-60to assemble in Salisbury and fly towardthe Smoky Mountains. The pilots, crewsand rescue technicians, through carefulsynchronization and execution, usednearly 90 feet of hoist cable to lift thehiker safely out of harm’s way.“This mission was a success due tothe regular training we do with our partnersin NCHART. They are part of ourteam,” said Army Capt. Darrell Scoggins,a UH-60 pilot who participated inthe rescue mission and works full-timeas the supervisory instructor pilot at theNCNG Salisbury Flight Facility.Scoggins said that the work NCNGunits do with NCHART ensures pilotsand rescue technicians have the abilitywork together numerous times throughoutthe year in order to save lives.The NCHART program has been sosuccessful that Great Britain is consideringadopting the program and implementingthose operations into theiremergency management practices, aswell. The program also was visited thismonth by a representative from the AustraliaState Emergency Services to learnabout the success of NCHART.Thanks to the regular training andstrong bonds formed between aviatorsand rescue technicians who have a passionfor saving lives, the Departmentof Public Safety can be proud to haveprofessionals that are ready to assist thecitizens of our state. xAugust 2012 | On the Scene | 7Above, during recent HARTtraining with Charlotteemergency responders,Fire Batallion Chief TimRogers, left, goes throughsafety checklists in front ofa UH-60 Blackhawk, whilereviewing various rescueoperations planning stages.They collaborate quarterlyon rescue operations.Photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian E.ChristiansenThe pilots, crews and technicians usednearly 90 feet of cable to hoist the hiker to safety.The mission was a success due to regular training.

8 | On the Scene | August 2012Walkin myshoesThe Department ofPublic Safety has hundredsof different jobs.The more you knowabout jobs other thanyours — especially inlight of the consolidationthat created ourdepartment — themore we will understand,not just the missionand scope of DPS,but also each otheras individuals, as coworkers.That is why, inthis newsletter for andabout you, the communicationsstaff regularlyprovides you anopportunity to “walk inthe shoes” of co-workers.In this edition, youcan read about an intakecounselor, a securitychief and an ALEspecial agent. xJuvenile Justice intake decisioncritical juncture for delinquentsBy George Dudley, EditorPITTSBORO | When young people are called to the officeof Alison Uhlenberg, her goal is that she never sees themthere again.Uhlenberg is a juvenile court counselor who makes lifechangingdecisions about how the state will respond to youngpeople who have broken the law.As the Juvenile Justice Division’s intake duty person in ChathamCounty, Uhlenberg can direct a case to court or to the community.A charge against a juvenile — less than age 16 — is a “complaint,”which becomes a “petition” if it is referred to juvenilecourt.A court, too, can send an offending youth to correctiveresources in the community; it can also commit the juvenileto confined treatment in a youth development center.Often, a juvenile’s offense doesn’t rise to the level ofconfinement, and more effective alternative responses areavailable in the youth’s town or county. At that stage of theprocess, Uhlenberg diverts the juvenile from court proceedingsand places him or her into hands of programproviders, ranging from a peer-review process to mentalhealth services.Uhlenberg said the process is part of Juvenile Justice’stherapeutic model for responding to juvenile delinquents.“The model is good, in that we need to think of thechildren as children, and they don’t need to be treated likeadults,” she said.Law enforcement officers draw up and present complaintsto Uhlenberg, usually in person, giving her the opportunityto talk with them about the complaints. She sometimeshelps the officers with the necessary paperwork.Uhlenberg’s next step — to be taken within 15 days ofreceiving the complaint — is when the youth is called to heroffice, along with a parent or guardian. She gathers as muchinformation as possible, including socio-economic factors,family functionality, the youth’s behavior at home and schooland mental health history.The North Carolina Juvenile Offender InformationNetwork (NC JOIN), a statewide database on youths in thejuvenile justice system, gives intake counselors access to assessmenttools that help them decide whether to divert complaintsor forward them to court. The assessments consider the needs of theThe therapeutic model is good,because we need to think of the childrenas children. They don’t need to betreated like adults.— Alison Uhlenbergyouths and families and the youths’ likelihoodof re-offending.In the last fiscal year, Uhlenberg processed204 complaints, a large majority ofthem coming from the schools. She diverted105 of them.If she diverts a complaint, Uhlenberg becomesresponsible for monitoring the juvenile’s progress. Youths already under probation supervisionare monitored by their juvenile court counselor.The youth is likely to enter a program funded through the local Juvenile Crime PreventionSee Uhlenberg on page 9

August 2012 | On the Scene | 9Uhlenbergfrom page 8Council. Among the JCPC programs availablein Chatham County are Teen Court, FamilyAdvocacy, community service and psychologicalevaluations. Court adjudications oftensend youths to JCPC programs, too.“Overall, JCPC programs are doing a greatjob,” Uhlenberg said.Unlike a juvenile court counselor for ayouth on probation, Uhlenberg in her intakecounselor position is not required to providesupervision that is direct, “unless it needs tobe.”“I maintain monthly contact with theagencies that I refer children to, with otherpeople involved and with the parents,” shesaid. “I make sure they’re being compliant,make sure they’re going to their mental healthappointments or doing their community service.I may have meetings at school regardingthe child’s behavior.”Uhlenberg said one of her biggest challengesis helping people outside of JuvenileJustice understand the therapeutic modelapproach to responding to youthful delinquency.Often, other people involved, evenparents, expect more confinement.“What happened 15 years ago, or evenfive years ago, is not what’s happening now,and there’s a lot of frustration from parentsand other people that that’s not how we dothings, and that we need to try these thingsfirst until we run out of options,” she said.Uhlenberg has a helpful nature, whichshe said led her to choose to earn a bachelorof science and master’s degrees in criminaljustice.After working in the state juvenile justicesystem in Michigan, where she earned herpost-graduate degree, Uhlenberg returnedto her native North Carolina and became ayouth counselor at the now-closed SamarkandYouth Development Center in 2006. Sheworked at Samarkand for about eight monthsin a pilot program of a new model of careadopted from the Methodist Homes for Children.Afterward, Uhlenberg was named a juvenilecourt counselor in Chatham County, nextdoor to Orange County, where she grew upin Chapel Hill. She has had intake duties inChatham County since 2007.She believes her work makes a differencein people’s lives.“I like helping people,” she said. “I likeseeing the changes that families and childrencan make.“Hopefully, we don’t work with the familiesforever. I’ll say to them, ‘If I see you inFood Lion or Walmart or I’m on business atschool and you say hi, or if I get a phone callabout how you’re doing, or if I get an invitationto your graduation, that’s what I want tosee. I don’t want to see you back here.”Uhlenberg’s soul is restless if she’s nothelpful.“I can sleep at night knowing they are gettingsomething from what I do,” she said.Uhlenberg often feels the face of povertystaring hungrily at her, and she does somethingabout that, too. Her heart sees too manyChatham County families struggling to getenough to eat.Last summer, she began using an onlinecommunity “chat box” to solicit food donationsfor hungry people in the county. Sheposted requests for surplus produce that peoplemight gather from their private gardens.Soon, three people were regularly leavingtomatoes, peppers, squash and othervegetables at her office door. She has sinceadded canned and dried foods to her request.Uhlenberg and a co-worker divvy the produceand foods into bags and deliver the foodthemselves to needy families.At least 15 families are being served.Uhlenberg’s “e-gleaning” project has ledto social gatherings that fostered cultural activitiesand other learning opportunities forthe families’ children.Her eyes glistening, she said, “I do it, becausethe kids need it.” xBelow, Alison Uhlenberg,right, talks with GwenOverturff of ChathamCounty Together, whichprovides community serviceand restitution activitiesfor delinquents who weresent to Teen Court, a programfunded by JuvenileCrime Prevention Councilgrants. In the background,a youth whose complaintwas diverted by Uhlenberg,pulls weeds from a publicagency’s shrubbery andflower bed.

10 | On the Scene | August 2012Jeff Sipes, right,has to keep an eye onCommunity Correctionssecurity operationsthroughout North Carolina.The probation officers help locatefugitives and make thousandsof sex offender compliance checkseach year.Job satisfies appetite for results, rewardsJeff Sipes is Community Corrections’ security services chief.By Pamela WalkerCommunications Deputy DirectorRALEIGH | It’s results-oriented and providesdaily rewards. That is how Jeff Sipes describeshis job as chief of security services inCommunity Corrections.Sipes has a variety of responsibilities:Supervising probation officers serving onthe U.S. Marshals’ Task Force; managing theCommunity Threat Group validation recordsand training; overseeing the warrants enteredinto the Division of Criminal Information(DCI); and helping coordinate the section’sState Emergency Response Team (SERT) members,who assist other state agencies and lawenforcement during disasters.“I love it!” Sipes said about his job. “It’sreally results-oriented… I can always lookback at the end of the day and know I haveaccomplished something.”The results include probation officers’assistance to the Marshals’Task Force, suchas a recent fugitive operationin CumberlandCounty that resulted inmore than 200 warrantsserved and 150 arrests made. The probationofficers help locate fugitives and makethousands of sex offender compliance checkseach year.Sipes will soon be training probation/paroleofficers on entering community threatgroup (gang) information and validation intoDCI. An extremely sensitive process, everyentry must be legally defensible, and officersmay be called on to testify about an individual’sgang affiliation. The training will help ensurethat the entries and maintenance of therecords follow federal and state guidelines.Within Community Corrections alone,about 10,000 probation/parole absconderwarrants are active in DCI. Sipes and histeam work to ensure that the warrants areentered correctly. They also follow up on theabsconder cases that have been deferred froman officer’s caseload and seek assistance fromother law enforcement agencies to help bringresolution to those cases.Sipes’ section is also responsible formaintaining files on offenders who have beenparoled to serve a prison sentence in anotherstate or have been deported. When the offendersapproach completion of their sentenceselsewhere, Sipes’ section will notifythem that they still have parole supervisionobligations in North Carolina.With Community Corrections since November2000, Sipes has been a surveillanceofficer; a probation officer supervising domesticviolence and sex offender cases; andadministrator of the drug labs before joiningSee SIPES on page 10

August 2012 | On the Scene | 11Sipesfrom page 10Alcohol Law Enforcement Agent Bryan House, second from right, coordinates an operation to track downand capture probation and parole absconders in Durham. A sign in the background seems appropriate.Agent makes FAST workof catching.abscondersBy Patty McQuillanCommunications OfficerDURHAM | On one of the hottest days of theyear, five members of the Fugitive ApprehensionStrike Team met with the team leader,Bryan House, in Durham to track down probationand parole absconders.House, the assistant special agent incharge for Alcohol Law Enforcement’s Raleighdistrict office, was pleased with the turnout,because participation in this FAST operationwas not mandatory. One member traveledfrom Fayetteville and another from Charlotteto help. The agents spent the day knockingon doors in sketchy neighborhoods, trackingdown difficult-to-find offenders who hadeluded their probation and parole officers.Department of Public Safety SecretaryReuben Young tasked Alcohol Law Enforcementin April with locating 100 offenderslisted by Adult Correction as high-risk absconders.In three months, members of FASTlocated or captured nearly half of them whilekeeping up with other ALE duties. More offendershave since been added to the list.House said the probation officers seemto appreciate ALE’s efforts. Most of the offendershave assaultive behavior, and, unlikeprobation officers, ALE agents can chargean offender with additional crimes, such asresisting arrest, assault with a deadly weaponor assault on a law enforcement officer. OnJuly 27, House and his team picked up anabsconder from a Raleigh apartment complexwho had been using her sister’s identity. ALEadded identity theft to her list of charges.In addition to the arrest authority, ALEspecial agents have access to numerous databases.When House studies the photos of theabsconders, he tries to look for scars, tattoosor any marking that will identify them. Sometimesthe markings are all the ID he needs.With the heat index at 110 degrees, thesix FAST team agents donned their policevests without hesitation and followed leadsto the grandparents’ home of one absconder.Agents covered all exit points in case theoffender was inside and tried to flee. Thistime, they missed him by an hour, but obtainednew leads. They pursued him to hisgirlfriend’s parent’s home. The girlfriend washome and distraught because her father forbadeher to see the absconder, and she hadbeen disobedient. She pleaded for the agentsSee House on page 12special operations.Previously, Sipes servedin the U.S. Air Force, as apatrolman in New Hampshireand as a police detective.He followed in thefootsteps of his father anduncle, who both were policeofficers.His passion for criminaljustice comes not only fromhis family, but he repeatshis mantra of enjoying beingin a field where you seeresults.“We are often able toput our hands on someonewho was trying to avoid lawenforcement and we bringthem back,” he said.He added that he wouldtell anybody consideringthis type career to “jump inwith both feet, and you willbe rewarded every day. Everyone of us has an impacton public safety.”That impact can alsobe felt following a state disasterwhen SERT membersare called in to help. Sipesprovides coordiation for theSERT members from CommunityCorrections whohave been called on to aidemergency managementand law enforcement.Many times CommunityCorrections officers willhelp provide traffic controland security in areasdevastated by hurricanesor tornados. In April 2011,probation officers backedup law enforcement at roadblocks; helped patrol neighborhoodsso homes wouldnot be looted; and deliveredsupplies to tornado victimsin Lee and Bertie counties.In his spare time, Sipessaid, he devotes his time tohis family. He says his sonplays soccer and his daughterdances.“Everything I do, it’sabout them,” he said. x

12 | On the Scene | August 2012‘We love puttingpeople in jailwho need to bein jail.’— Bryan HouseBelow, Bryan House, left,and a fellow ALE agentlead another absconder toa vehicle for transport to aconfinement facility.Housefrom page 11not to return at 5:30 p.m. when her fatherwould be home from work, and she readilygave agents the offender’s cell phone number.It was nearly two o’clock before theagents stopped to grab a bite of lunch. Theyteased House for not stopping to eat.“We have the mindset that, ‘Just the nextdoor I knock on, I’ll find him,’ or ‘five moreminutes of surveillance,’” House said. “Welove putting people in jail who need to bein jail. I think I’ve seen some of the worst inthe world. There are evil people, and thenthere are those who are good people who justmade a bad decision. I’ve seen them both.”FAST also began helping the JuvenileJustice Division recover escapees from theirfacilities, including three in August who stolean employee’s car at the Stonewall JacksonYouth Development Center in Concord.House is also the assistant team leader forALE’s Special Operations Group which is atactical team that serves high-risk search andarrest warrants.“I’ve been in crack houses and they’refilthy, bug-infested, and people are comingand going all the time,” House said. “Wetrain for everything, but prepare for the worst.We have contingency plans for contingencyplans.”Dr. Tom Griggs, the physician for the StateHighway Patrol, is a reserve ALE agent. Heoversaw the SOG team’s medic training andgoes with the agents on high-threat cases.“We know where the closest hospital is,and if EMS is not close by, we have a medicaltransport dedicated vehicle,” House said.“What we do is well thought out.”On the first SOG mission, House said ALEhad a no-knock search warrant at a housewhere two armed residents suspected of sellingcocaine and guns were sleeping. Oncethey opened the door, they had to act veryfast. House was in a bedroom where the suspectrolled over in bed to get his handgun onthe nightstand. In the other room, a man hadbeen sleeping with an assault rifle under thecovers between his legs.“This made all the training worth it,”House said. “Who knows what would’vehappened if we’d had any less training.”ALE special agents have had basic law enforcementtraining before they come to ALE’sbasic academy. There they learn how to workundercover, do covert surveillance, to interrogatea suspect, to do house raids and to write,prepare and execute search warrants. Theyalso must be physically fit and are trained inextra defensive tactics.House himself coordinates the basicschool’s physical fitness training, which hesays is an important part of officer survivaltraining. He tries to instill, especially in thenew recruits, what he calls the warrior mindset:I’m coming home at the end of my shiftno matter what.Agents were nervous when the handgunscore was recently raised to 85, what Housecalls an incredibly high score for any lawenforcement agent. Despite the anxiety, everyagent passed. The Special Operations Groupmust shoot at 90 percent, day or night (100being the top score).“We arrest people who are doing drugs,and we arrest people who have guns,” Housesaid. “We need to be the best we can be.”He said they also need the best equipmentand training to do the work they dosafely and to be capable of going into placeswhere criminals are. That training includesassault rifles for every agent.“If there were a sniper on that balcony,”House explained, “my handgun wouldn’treach him, nor would a shotgun.See House on page 13

August 2012 | On the Scene | 13Housefrom page 11“An assault rifle isthe only thing that wecould hit him with,and that gives us theability to protect citizensand ourselves.Our top priority issafety.”House said ALEagents do so muchmore than alcoholenforcement that thename belies whatthey do. He said oftenhe will just say he is with the Departmentof Public Safety because people understandthat. He suggests State Police might better describethe work of the 112 agents.House said, “We’re blessed with goodpeople. We have a good hiring process. Wehave hard workers.”A very small percentage of applicants geta job with ALE. They start with a wellnesstest, followed by a polygraph test, then aphysical and a psychological exam.House spearheaded the effort to haveALE’s polygraph program nationally accredited.He rewrote ALE’s policy on administeringpolygraph exams and conferred with theHouston (Texas) Police Department, whosepolygraph program was recently accredited.The document was sent back and forth fourtimes before it was finalized.“We now have a good policy and weshouldn’t have to change it for a long time,”House said. “We have examiners trained bythe federal government and we have qualitycontrol with a second set of eyes to reviewthe testing to make sure it’s done correctly.Our polygraph testing is now at the level ofthe FBI, CIA and the U.S. Military.”House is enthusiastic in his work andgrateful for the emphasis on special operationsand the community betterment program.“We’ve had the best leadership sinceI’ve been here, and I want it to stay that way.”When asked how his wife feels aboutthe work he does, House said, “I wouldn’tbe able to do this without her.” She has seenhow hard the ALE agents work, and how theycan be out on an operation at any time ofthe day or night, any day of the week. Housetexted her when he and his team picked upthe female absconder, writing, “We got one.”He said it makes her a part of this.After an arrest, House takes time to be in touchwith his wife, whose support is critical to his job,he said.House grew up inJohnston County.His grandfather hada farm until the I-95by-pass split it in half.House’s mother andfather were givenpart of the farm, andfrom the age of 12,he worked in anotherfarmer’s tobaccofields for $3.50 anhour.“I hated everyminute of it,” House said. “I told myself thatwhen I got old enough to get a job, whateverI got, it wouldn’t be as bad as working in themiddle of the summer in a tobacco field.”When he turned 15, House began bagginggroceries for IGA in Selma, workingthere four years. He graduated from NorthJohnston High School in Kenly in 1994. Hethen went to East Carolina University andearned a bachelor of science degree in criminaljustice, graduating in 1998. He was oneof the first people in his family to go to college.Even during college, House was working,delivering furniture on the weekends and beinga personal fitness trainer during the week.“My parents drilled it into me to workhard,” House said. “They said when you growup, you can do anything you want.”In 1998, House applied to be an ALEagent, and he knew it would take a year forthe background investigation to be completeand his application approved. In the meantime,he worked in Wake Medical Center’sPolice Department. That’s where he met hiswife, Caren, who was volunteering in thechildren’s emergency department. They nowhave two children, 5-year-old Hanley and 7-month-old Layton. He spends any free timehe has with his family.House said he and his wife are involvedin their church’s youth group. “Hanley is indance class, and the baby, well, she takes alot of time,” House said.“Seeing the children in poor neighborhoodswho have no supervision, who are toldto stay out until called, who are raised bythe neighbors, who are taught not to cooperatewith law enforcement, hits home,” saidHouse. “I want to be the best father I can be.I don’t want anyone else raising my girls.” xHouse is enthusiasticin his work andgrateful for theemphasis on specialoperations and thecommunity bettermentprogram.

14 | On the Scene | August 2012MattKnightRustyKingNatalieMasonAlanFieldsEricHillALE honors agentsat awards ceremonyBy Patty McQuillan, Communications OfficerRALEIGH | Eighteen North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcementagents were honored at an annual awards ceremonyJuly 24 at the State Bureau of Investigation auditorium.Secretary Reuben Young remarked on the difficultand dangerous jobs of ALE agents saying, “Every dayyou combat crime that others are either unable to or won’ttouch. You are well respected by those who work sideby-sidewith you in joint operations, by the communitiesyou improve and the lives you ultimately save through thelaws you uphold.”Special Agent Adam Boyd of ALE District I, ElizabethCity, was named the Agent of the Year for his workwith the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, workingto eliminate street gangs in eastern North Carolina.His work in one case resulted in 81 indictments againstconfirmed gang members who had been terrorizing neighborhoodsand eluding law enforcement officers. In addition,Adams worked on other drug cases that resultedin his being named Narcotic Investigator of the Year forEastern North Carolina.In addition to Agent of the Year, awards were givenfor District Agent of the Year, Meritorious Service andCertificate of Commendation. The award recipients andtheir accomplishments were:Meritorious Service AwardSpecial Agents Matt Knight and Rusty KingOn Jan. 17, Knight and King of District II were workingin downtown Greenville when they saw a fight, inwhich one of the combatants drew a handgun and unsuccessfullyattempted to fire the weapon.Because numerous on-lookers were in danger of beingshot, Knight and King identified themselves, challengedthe offender and ordered the by-standers to take cover.The offender ran, and Knight and King found the suspecthiding under a parked car and arrested him.King was also named District II agent of the year. Hemade more than 400 arrests, produced cause 14 searchwarrants, and oversaw an investigation that shut down alarge-scale video piracy network.ALE Awards of ExcellenceSpecial Agent Natalie Mason, District III, New BernMason demonstrated her willingness to go above andSee Awards on page 15BryanIrwinMikeMcKeithanChessMcQueenChrisPooleWebCorthell

August 2012 | On the Scene | 15ChrisKluttzKennySimmaClayJoynerAllenRobertsMarkLeassierAwardsfrom page 14beyond the call of duty during a routine undercover investigationof non-taxpaid liquor purchases. In November2011, the case took a dark turn — the suspect disclosedto Mason that he provided alcoholic beverages to teenagefemales in exchange for sexual favorsIn her undercover role, Mason’ investigation requiredher to visit the suspect’s home several times and he had torepeatedly deflect his sexual advances without revealingherself as an ALE agent.Mason was also presented a Commendation Award.On March 14, she unexpectedly arrived at the scene of atraffic accident involving a severely injured motorcyclist.Checking the injured man, she realized he was having difficultybreathing due to his injuries.The agent relieved the man’s breathing problem encouragedthe injured motorcyclist until Emergency MedicalServices arrived.Assistant Director Alan Fields, Headquarters, RaleighFields helped the ABC Commission in 2010 by investigatingallegations of wrongdoing by managers of theGreensboro and Asheville ABC systems. He spent countlesshours conducting interviews and examining creditcard records. The complaints were substantiated and bothmanagers left their jobs.In 2011, Fields investigated allegations of embezzlementthat resulted in the arrest of another ABC manager,who confessed to her role in a similar embezzlementscheme in 2008.In early 2011, Fields helped the Greensboro Police Departmentclose a hotel that for 20 years was the source of4,000 police calls for service.Special Agent Eric Hill, GreensboroAssigned to Guilford County, Hill organizes specialoperations that assist local law enforcement agencies withvarious problems associated with ABC permitted businesses.In June 2011, Hill organized an operation with theGreensboro Police Department and Guilford CountySheriff’s Office that focused on illegal activities at anevent with a notorious reputation.Hill partnered with police, sheriff and fire departmentpersonnel in a high visibility operation that resulted in120 arrests and the seizure of firearms, drugs and $4,000in cash. Most importantly, no violent crime occurred duringthe event.In addition to this operation, Hill worked undercoverin two other districts on long-term investigations centeredon illegal drug trade. Hill was also one two officers whowere named District VI Agent of the Year.Special Agent Brian IrwinAssigned to Forsyth County, Irwin organizes specialoperations in his area.See Awards on page 16JerryDeanDavidMillerA routine undercoveroperation took adark turn when thesuspect disclosedthat he providedalcoholic beveragesto teenage femalesin exchange fornude pictures.

16 | On the Scene | August 2012The agent arresteda suspect who was aWisconsin fugitive,who was wanted ondrug and weaponscharges and was outof jail on bond fora New York murdercharge.After several monthsof labor-intensivework, the suspectwas charged withcrimes related tounlawful sexualrelations with children,ABC offensesand drug charges.The agent wascreative during theinvestigation andskillfully handledthe assignment.Awardsfrom page 15In March 2011, he concluded an eight-month community betterment project inWinston-Salem that focused on drug dealing at ABC-permitted businesses. Thirty-sixpeople were arrested on more than 80 drug charges. The illegal outlet was closed andviolation reports submitted to the ABC Commission.In August 2011, Irwin observed a man selling of counterfeit DVDs when the suspectfled, but Irwin apprehended him. The suspect had drugs and a concealed weapon,was a fugitive from Wisconsin who was wanted on drug and weapons charges, andwas out of jail on bond after being arrested and charged with murder in New York.In November 2011, Irwin worked with the Winston-Salem Police Department andthe Department of Homeland Security to dismantle a large-scale cocaine network. Heworked countless hours on the investigation, which yielded more than 100 pounds ofcocaine, 100 grams of heroin and more than $350,000 in cash.While on these investigations, Irwin continued his ALE duties and helped otheragents with special operations.Special Agent Mike McKeithanAssigned to Durham County, McKeithan worked with Durham law enforcement onan investigation involving merchants illegally engaged in organized retail theft. Themerchants were charged with purchasing stolen merchandise at discounted prices andreselling the merchandise at an inflated cost.The investigation resulted in the execution of 20 search warrants at businessessuch as convenience stores, clothing stores, towing companies, tobacco outlets and anapartment. A total of 32 people were arrested and charged with more than 110 felonyand misdemeanor offenses. Seizures included large quantities of cash, stolen merchandise,automobiles, handguns, drugs and video poker machines.McKeithan maintained his normal ALE duties throughout this investigation.Special Agent Chess McQueenAssigned to Alamance and Forsyth counties, McQueen assists with many specialoperations, including one he self-initiated in 2011 involving properties used as havensfor criminal activity. From illegal ABC outlets, to drug houses, to a fraudulent documentmanufacturing lab, McQueen’s undertakings helped rid communities of longtermproblems.These investigations were complex and constantly fluid, and McQueen frequentlyhad to adjust and adapt to numerous changes and unexpected events. Despite theinvestigation’s short-notice and late-night meetings, McQueen maintained his normalALE duties.Several local law enforcement agencies recognized McQueen for his dedication tosolving long-term problems.Special Agent Chris PoolePoole worked on community betterment operations in a three-county area, targetingdrug dealers doing business in residential areas. His efforts resulted in the executionof seven search warrants, 12 arrests and the seizure of controlled substances,including a trafficking amount of oxycodone, marijuana and cocaine. In one homesearch, a child was removed and placed into the custody of Child Protective Services.While maintaining his normal workload, Poole also volunteered to help other operationswithin and outside his assigned district of Davidson and Randolph counties.Poole was one of two who were named District VI Agent of the Year.ALE Commendation AwardSpecial Agent Web CorthellAssigned to Buncombe County, Corthell was working a routine complaint in November2011 that alleged a suspect was selling non-taxpaid liquor. Shortly after theinvestigation began, the suspect disclosed that he preyed on teenage girls by providingalcoholic beverages in exchange for nude photos.See Awards on page 17

August 2012 | On the Scene | 17Awardsfrom page 16Working with an undercover ALE agent and the Asheville Police Department,Corthell put in several months of labor-intensive work. The suspect was charged withcrimes related to unlawful sexual relations with children, ABC offenses and drugcharges. Corthell was creative during the investigation and skillfully handled this assignment.Special Agent Chris KluttzAssigned to Mecklenburg County, Kluttz undertook two major undercover operationsin late 2011 which resulted in the arrest of numerous people.The first operation centered on the illegal drug trade and prostitution at an ABCpermittedestablishment. Six people were arrested. The other was a community bettermentoperation conducted with the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearmsand focused on illegal drugs and firearms sold in Mecklenburg County. This yielded19 arrests and the seizure of drugs and weapons.In March, Kluttz organized another operation that was adopted by the Bureau ofAlcohol Tobacco and Firearms. While carrying out his daily district duties, Kluttzparticipated in surveillance operations that resulted in the seizure of 9 kilograms of cocaineand more than 3,100 pounds of marijuana.He also assisted another district on a long-term firearms and drug investigationwhich included the seizure of 60 firearms including a fully automatic AK-47.Kluttz was presented with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department’s Chief’sAward for Excellence.District Agents of the YearDistrict III, Wilmington – Kenny SimmaDuring 2011, Simma targeted illegal activities at legal and illegal outlets. His effortsresulted in the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission summarily suspendingpermits at some businesses and the execution of search warrants at illegal outlets.Simma also investigated a marijuana trafficking operation, a gambling operationand an illegal distillery.District IV, Raleigh – Clay JoynerDuring 2011, Joyner targeted illegal activities at legal and illegal ABC outlets. Hisefforts resulted in 79 arrests during an operation focused on underage possession ofalcoholic beverages around the N.C. State University campus.During another investigation, Joyner charged a homeowner for operating an illegaldistillery after the distillery exploded and damaged the home.District V, Fayetteville – Allen RobertsDuring 2011, Roberts partnered with the Mount Gilead Police Department andMontgomery County Sheriff’s Office to target illegal drug operations. The sevenmonthoperation resulted in 70 undercover purchases of controlled substances from22 different people. Seizures included more than 75 grams of cocaine, more than 120grams of opiates, marijuana, vehicles and currency.District VII, Conover – Mark LeassierLesassier worked on the Homeland Security Investigations – Immigration andCustoms Enforcement task force. His work included translations, compiling data fromGlobal Positioning System trackers and conducting technical surveillance.Lesassier maintained his ALE responsibilities and worked with the ALE SpecialOperations Group.District VIII, Charlotte – Jerry DeanDuring 2011, Dean targeted illegal activities at ABC-permitted outlets on communitybetterment projects. His efforts resulted in arrests for drug violations, the executionof search warrants and submission of violation reports to the ABC Commission.District IX, Asheville – David MillerDuring 2011, Miller partnered in Department of Homeland Security operations targetingstreet gang activities. Meanwhile, Miller maintained his ALE duties, conductednon-taxpaid liquor and drug investigations which led to multiple arrests. xThe agent’s hardwork and communitybetterment effortsearned him theChief’s Award forExcellence from theCharlotte-Mecklenburg PoliceDepartment.During oneinvestigation, theagent chargeda homeowner foroperating an illegaldistillery after thedistillery explodedand damaged thehome.

18 | On the Scene | August 2012Above is the state LegislativeBuilding in Raleigh,where the North CarolinaGeneral Assembly concludedits 2011-2012biennium session on July3. Its next session, for the2013-2014 biennium willbegin on Jan. 30, 2012.General Assembly passes legislation key to DPS operationsRALEIGH | The state’s 2011-2012 bienniumbudget passed last year was adjustedthis spring and summer, and theDepartment of Public Safety found itselfthe object of several spending managementmeasures.On the Scene has prepared a roundupof the legislature’s key actions that affectDPS. They are listed by the affectedoperating areas.Generaly The General Assembly implementedmanagement flexibility reductions tomost agencies and departments to payfor a large gap in the Medicaid budget.As a result, Department of Public Safetyleadership is required to manage theDPS budget so as to generate more than$26 million in recurring funds. Becausethe reduction is in recurring funds, DPScannot use lapsed salary to generate thereduction.y The Research and Planning Sectionin the Division of Administration wasmade the sole state agency responsiblefor coordinating and implementing exoffenderre-entry initiatives. During the2012-13 fiscal year, Research and Planning,in concert with local communities,must establish 3-10 local councils to developcomprehensive re-entry plans.Law Enforcement Divisiony The General Assembly was not ableto fund completion of the VIPER systemto meet P25 compliance. However, thelegislators did include budget languagestating their intent to continue their supportin future sessions.y The Geodetic Survey Section is transferredfrom the Department Environmentaland Natural Resources to DPS.It will be housed under the Division ofLaw Enforcement, in the EmergencyManagement Section.y The budget revision appropriates$1.3 million that allows work to beginon repairs and renovations to the N.C.National Guard Greensboro ReadinessCenter. The capital appropriation createsa state match for a federal grant.y A provision was repealed from lastyear’s budget that required Alcohol LawEnforcement and the State Highway Patrolto colocate their regional offices.y An update to the “Emergency ManagementAct” creates a new Class 2 misdemeanorfor violating an emergencyprohibition or restriction.y Legislation codified the State EmergencyResponse Team, making it an officialstate government function.y The Butner Public Safety Authority isallowed to enter into a contract with anypublic safety provider for the provisionof fire and police services. It was previouslyrequired to contract with DPS.Adult Correction Divisiony Continued implementation of the JusticeReinvestment Act requires morethan $12 million in funding for an additional249 positions, primarily inCommunity Corrections. The GeneralAssembly did not provide that additionalfunding for JRA. However, DPS wasSee Legislation on page 19

August 2012 | On the Scene | 19Legislationfrom page 18granted legislative authority to reclassifyexisting vacant positions within thedepartment to create positions needed toimplement the law.y Adult Correction is required to studythe feasibility and cost-effectiveness ofcreating a technical revocation center.A center would be a residential confinementfacility, as an alternative to prison,for probationers who are revoked basedon technical violations. A report on thestudy is due Jan. 1, 2013.y Funding was provided to create threefull-time commissioner positions on thePost-Release Supervision and ParoleCommission. To create the three positions,two current part-time commissionerpositions will be made full-time,effective Aug. 1. The third full-timecommissioner position will be new andwill be effective Feb. 1, 2013. Thesechanges are in response to the increasedcaseload for the Commission stemmingfrom the Justice Reinvestment Act.y The Parole Commission was alsoauthorized to conduct certain revocationand criminal contempt hearings viavideo-conference.y The portion of the Young OffendersForest Conservation Program (commonlyknown as BRIDGE) that is currentlyfunded by DPS is transferred tothe Department of Agriculture and ConsumerServices. BRIDGE will continueto serve young offenders at the WesternYouth Institution.is a newsletter for and about employeesof the N.C. Department of Public Safety.If you have questions or wish to contributenews or ideas to the newsletter,please contact the editor, George Dudley,at george.dudley@ncdps.govor at (919) 733-5027.y Cyber-bullying of a school employeeby a student is a new Class 2 misdemeanor.The court may, without enteringa judgment of guilt and with the consentof the student, defer further proceedingsand place the student on probation. If thestudent fulfills the terms and conditionsof probation, the court will dismiss theproceedings against the student withoutadjudication of guilt and criminal conviction.If a complaint is filed under the juvenilecode, the juvenile may, upon afinding of legal sufficiency, enter into adiversion contract.Juvenile Justicey Edgecombe Youth DevelopmentCenter is to be closed effective Jan. 1,2013. The closure eliminates 57 of the67 full-time positions at that center. Tenyouth counselor associate positions areto be transferred, five to Chatham YDCand five to Lenoir YDC, in order to increasethe operating capacities of thosefacilities to 32 beds each. The positiontransfers are facilitated by a repeal of astaffing cap on YDCs.A study, in consultation with the Departmentof Health and Human Services,is required to determine potential usesfor Edgecombe YDC facility. DPS mustreport findings and recommendations byDec. 1, 2012.y The juvenile code was amended toreflect certain federal requirements thataffect the availability of federal funds toDPS. The changes affect the status of juvenilesdeemed to be undisciplined. Oneof the changes reduces the maximumtime that an undisciplined juvenile canbe held in secure custody to 24 hours,down from 72.y The $550,000 annual operational costof the Craven County multipurposegroup home is to be funded from appropriationsto Juvenile Justice.y Of the appropriated funds for JuvenileCrime Prevention Council grants,$121,600 will be transferred to ProjectChallenge, a private and non-profit juvenilecommunity service and restitutionprogram that serves 33 counties. xAdult Correctionwill studyalternativeconfinementfor technicalprobationviolators.

20 | On the Scene | August 2012Nona Best, supervisor ofthe N.C. Center for MissingPersons, in November2011 began the process ofidentifying Angie Toler asthe woman whose body wasfound more than 20 yearsago in Richmond, Va. Bestrecognized the former Princetonwoman in a photo usedduring a presentation at anational missing personsacademy she was attendingin Atlanta.‘Once I saw thepicture up close,I knew it washer.’Public Safety employee helps resolve missing woman mysteryRALEIGH | In 1992, Angie Faye Tolerwas with her boyfriend in love, happyand moving to Richmond, Va., for a newstart on life. That was the last time thePrinceton family ever saw her.The boyfriend later returned toSmithfield, alone and with a story thatno one seemed to believe.Almost 20 years later, with the assistanceof the N.C. Center for MissingPersons and NamUs, Toler has beenidentified. NamUs is the National Missingand Unidentified Persons System,a national centralized repository andresource center for missing persons andunidentified decedent records.Her body was found by the railroadtracks in Richmond in Novemberof 1992. With no ID and no relativesaround, her case was listed as an unidentifieddeceased.Last November, Nona Best, supervisorof the N.C. Center for MissingPersons, attended a NamUs Academyin Atlanta. During a presentation by theVirginia Medical Examiner’s Office,Best noticed that a woman in a picturelooked familiar.Best later approached the instructorand asked to see the picture again.“Once I saw the picture up close Iknew it was her,” Best said. “She lookedjust like herself and her sister.”When Best returned to her office inRaleigh, she contacted the family andVirginia’s chief medical examiner. DNAfrom the mother and sister was sent tothe University of North Carolina at ChapelHill for analysis and comparison.On July 31, Best learned that theDNA was a positive match.“I was glad to hear that the DNAproves it’s her so the family will nowhave closure,” Best said. “I know thisfamily personally, and I know this willclose a hole that has been here for a longtime.”Best and Princeton Police Chief TyroneSutton informed Toler’s family ofthe DNA results. It was a heart-touchingmoment.— Nona Best See Best on page 21

August 2012 | On the Scene | 21The Carolina Mudcats, a minor league baseball team in Zebulon,featured the Department of Public Safety during its games July20-22. Employees were able to redeem a voucher for five ticketsSecretary shows ‘striking’ good formto any Mudcat game that weekend. On the evening of July 20,Secretary Reuben Young, left, was invited to ceremoniously throwthe first pitch of the game. Photo by Pamela Walker, Communcationsdeputy director.Lanesboro prison has new administratorLANESBORO | Lawrence H. Parsons Jr. is the new administratorat the Adult Correction Divison’s LanesboroCorrectional Institution.The prison provides close custody confinement for approximately860 adult male inmates. It has 405 officers andother staff members.Parsons was most recently the prison’s assistant superintendentfor custody and operations, promoted there in March 2010.Parsons began his career at the now-closed Union CorrectionalCenter in 1986.As administrator, he succeeds Richard Neely, who was namedas administrator at Piedmont Correctional Institution.As a correctional instructor, Parsons provides training in firearmsand self-defense. xCommunity Corrections in the communityDistrict 5 has begun a challenge among its units to see whichone can bring the most items to fill school bookbags. This challengeruns until Aug. 17. The filled bookbags will then be donatedfor elementary schools in New Hanover and Pender counties foruse by children in need.District 10 staff members completed their first season of recreationalbasketball in Raleigh. The district’s officers organized theteam as a way to fellowship and get to know each other better. Theteam made it to the playoffs and played hard during the season.See Basketball on page 22Bestfrom page 20fore I left this earth. I’m at peace now.”Best does not know what happens now,but she says she hopes Mrs. Sherod decidesto do something to bring the familytogether to celebrate her daughter’s life.Under the direction of the North CarolinaState Highway Patrol, the N.C. Centerfor Missing Persons is the state’s clearinghousefor information regarding missingchildren and adults and is charged withissuing AMBER Alerts and Silver Alerts.Since its creation in 1985, the center hasworked with local, state and federal lawenforcement agencies to locate missingpersons and reunite them with theirfamilies. North Carolina is one of the fewstates with a clearinghouse for missingadults as well as children.For more information, click on:or on

22 | On the Scene | August 2012Play golf, supportSpecial OlympicsAlcohol Law Enforcementand the State Bureau ofInvestigation are callinggolfers to play in their sixthannual golf tournament tobenefit Special Olympics.The tournament will beplayed on Sept. 18 in theCaptain’s Choice format atEagle Ridge Golf Course,565 Competition Road, Raleigh.Registration will beginat 9 a.m., the shotgun startwill be at 10 a.m. and lunchwill be served at 3 p.m.The entry deadline isSept. 11.For more informationcontact: ALE’s Ken Pike at(919) 733-4060, (919) 524-9494 or at kpike@ncale.org; ALE’s Israel Morrow at(919) 250-5937, (919) 215-2745 or imorrow@ncale.org; or Karen Morrow at(919) 662-4509 extension.2268, (919) 369-4924, orkmorrow@ncdoj.gov.————Alexander Correctional Institutionhas also planned agolf tournament to benefitSpecial Olympics.This event is set for1 p.m. Sept. 14, at BrushyMountain Golf Club in Taylorsville.For more information,contact Debbie Schenz atAlexander Correctional at(828) 632-1331. xSecond post-merger general instructors class graduatesThe Office of Staff Development and Training conducted its eighth General Instructor Course graduationceremony on July 22 at the OSDT Training Complex. Class members represented Prisons, CommunityCorrections, Juvenile Justice, Alcoholism and Chemical Dependency and OSDT. The two-week courseprovides criminal justice professionals a fundamental background in instruction. Each instructor candidateis required to research, develop, and deliver an 80-minute lesson plan and successfully pass thestate administered written exam. Graduates from the Office of Staff Development and Training’s eighthGeneral Instructor course are: From left, front row: John Gaby, sergeant, Pender Correctional Institution;Randy McDaniel, probation/parole officer, Community Corrections District 22; Janet Dexter,sergeant, Pender CI; Selene Gibson, PPO, District 20; Jennifer Hoefling, youth counselor technician,Pitt Regional Juvenile Detention Center; Sue Gallien, PPO, District 16; Mark Wilson, sergeant,Piedmont CI. From left, back row: Scott Boyles, PPO, District 17; Kendra Davis, substance abusecounselor, ACD; Donna White, administrative officer, OSDT; Tiffany Faircloth, social worker III,Lenoir Youth Development Center; Lorie Goins, PPO, District 23; Mickey Bunton, correctional officer,Caldwell Correctional Center; and Tobias Turley, sergeant, Pasquotank CI.is a newsletterfor and aboutemployees ofthe N.C. Departmentof Public Safety.If you havequestions or wishto contribute newsor news ideasto the newsletter,please contactthe editor,George Dudley,at george.dudley@ncdps.gov or at(919) 733-5027.Mixing dancing fun with shaping upAnna Alston, a training coordinator in the Officeof Staff Development and Training, voluntarilypromotes wellness and health instruction twice aweek at OSDT in Apex and the Randall Building inRaleigh. The free exercise program is called “DanceN2 Shape,” which infuses exercise in the form ofdance. Recently, she incorporated light weights inthe weekly routine.Basketballfrom page 21Members of the team were AprilDixon, Maggie T. Brewer, BarbaraOverstreet, Paul Cummings, JamesPlescher, Reginald Thompson,Joseph Cripe, Roderick Fuller,Kevin Felder, Spencer Noble,Kimberly Davis, Tanika Hall,Holmes, Tiwana Smith andLeonard Flake. xHonor studentsNamed honor students recently intheir respective Basic CorrectionalOfficer classes were JonationBancroft of Maury CorrectionalInstitution and Patrick Carter ofLanesboro Correctional Institution.

August 2012 | On the Scene | 23Marker celebrates Civil Air Patrol coastal protection in WWIIBy N.C. Department of Cultural ResourcesMANTEO | During World War II, thearrival of the North Carolina Civil AirPatrol (CAP) dramatically reduced theGerman sinking of American vessels offthe North Carolina coast. In recognitionof the valuable service the Civil Air Patrolprovided, a North Carolina HighwayHistorical Marker was dedicated on July21 in Manteo at the Dare County Airport,the former CAP base.The federal Civil Air Patrol was establishedto serve as “flying minutemen”for the nation. Volunteer aviators inthe state’s wing of the federal programconducted sea rescues, towed targets formilitary training, performed courier service,and fought forest fires. From dawnto dusk, pilots prowled up and down theOuter Banks and southern North Carolinabeaches for German U-boats, sailorsin distress, sea mines, debris, and otherhazards. They also assisted the Navyand Coast Guard in protecting the EastCoast.The most significant mission of theCAP was antisubmarine duty in 1942and 1943. North Carolina’s coast becameknown as “Torpedo Junction,” andGerman Adm. Karl Doenitz indicatedthat the area off of Cape Hatteras wasparticularly fruitful for his missions. ByJanuary 1942, at least 19 German U-boats were operating along the AtlanticCoast. That month, nine allied vesselswent down off the coast; 54 more werelost over the next three months.The need for defensive action alongthe state’s coast led to establishment ofthe new CAP service in North Carolina.North Carolina Coastal CAP baseswere established in Manteo and Beaufortin 1942. By 1943 the volunteer aviatorforce numbered 1,100 members and 14squadrons. Only two vessels were torpedoedby U-boats during the time of theCAP base operations, compared with78 vessels sunk and 18 damaged priorto the CAP program. The record speaksvolumes to the effectiveness of NorthCarolina’s Civilian Air Patrol.For information on the marker dedicationprogram and on the highway markerprogram visit online, or call MichaelHill at (919) 807-7290. The N.C. HighwayHistorical Marker Program is partof the Office of Archives and Historyin the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.x‘Warrior Ride’ cheered at Minuteman statueBikers descended upon the North Carolina National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters on July 27 andwere welcomed with cheers, applause and respect. Dozens of bicyclists with “Warrior Ride” made a briefstop at the invitation of the USO of North Carolina for water, snacks and a little rest from the heat. WarriorRide, founded by a North Carolina couple, raises money and attention for adaptive cycling, a toolfor recreation and rehabilitation for wounded service members. The bikes also provide camaraderie withpeers in similar circumstances.Cyber SecurityDon’t fetchthat stickCybercriminals recentlyattemptedto infiltrate DSM,a multinationalchemical giant, by“losing” malwareinfectedUSB sticksin the company’sparking lots.Thankfully forDSM, an employeewho found oneof the USB sticksdropped it off atthe IT department,which in turn foundspyware on the device,issued a warning,and collected the remainingUSB devices.Authorities know onepurpose was to stealusernames and passwords.In addition to collectingadditional USB sticksfound by other workers,DSM also blocked the IPaddresses the malwarewas designed to communicatewith and sendstolen data to.The perpetratorswere clearly hoping thatemployees would plug ina found USB device tosee what was on it. Andonce that happened, dueto the malware implantedon the sticks, the gamewould already be over— the victimized workers’logon data would havebeen transmitted to thespies.Some analysts calledthe gambit an ingeniousway to infiltrate a company,which raises thequestion: Has it beentried before?The lesson for employeesis clear: Never letyour guard down, evenwhen you’re walking toyour car. If somethingsuspicious or unusualoccurs, report it immediatelyto your manager orthe IT/Security group. x

24 | On the Scene | August 2012P r o m o t i o n sPromotions in July 2012 unless indicated otherwise.Adult Correction DivisionLora Andrews, sergeant, Maury Correctional InstitutionZenadia Ashley, sergeant, Tillery CCScott Bell, sergeant, Caledonia CIShawn Blackburn, captain, Alexander CINoah Blackman, supervisor V, Correction Enterprises Sign PlantNikita Boone, sergeant, Franklin CCTonya Bostic, nurse supervisor, Maury CIAngel Bowden, office assistant IV, Community Corrections District 3Theodore Boysworth, unit manager, Marion CILeon Brade, food service officer, Warren CIAudrey Bryant, sergeant, Scotland CIKandise Carswell, office assistant IV, Marion CIFred Castelloe, assistant superintendent/custody & operations III,Bertie CILisa Church, food service officer, Western Youth InstitutionDarin Clark, sergeant, Columbus CIRobert Clatty, programs supervisor, Tabor CIJames Cole, sergeant, Maury CIMichael Collins, assistant unit manager, Caledonia CICharles Cooper, sergeant, Warren CIChristopher Copeland, sergeant, Maury CIAshley Creech, officer II, Community Corrections District 4Nicolette Crider, accounting technician, Albemarle CIEddie Denny, programs supervisor, Wilkes CCSandra Despain, nurse supervisor, Craggy CCEdward Downing, food service manager II, Craven CIChristopher Ferrell, sergeant, Foothills CIBeatrice Fogg, food service officer, Warren CIStephen Fonville, sergeant, Maury CIEmmett Ford, sergeant, Neuse CIMarty Galloway, assistant superintendent,Buncombe Correctional CenterEthel Gamble, accounting clerk IV, District 3Victor Gibbs, food service officer, Hyde CIWilliam Gibson, lead correctional officer, Hoke CIMarcus Globuschutz, officer, Community Corrections District 19BRodney Glover, officer II, Community Corrections District 7Michelle Hartley, lieutenant, Central PrisonLouis Hassell, sergeant, Bertie CIMark Higgins, officer, Community Corrections District 30Tracy Horne, lieutenant, Eastern CIRobin Hudgins, assistant unit manager, Avery-Mitchell CIHelen Hudson, nurse supervisor, Bertie CIKevin Hudson, sergeant, Craggy CCJackie Huggins, unit manager, Mountain View CILaytoya Isler, food service officer, Caledonia CICynthia Joyner, captain, Odom CIWilliam Joyner, officer II, Community Corrections District 29James Kornegay, sergeant, Maury CITimothy Lee, sergeant, Central PrisonMatthew Lennon, sergeant, Maury CIJo Ann Mason, medical records assistant IV, Nash CIDarrell Mckinley, food service officer, Pasquotank CISteven McKinney, lieutenant, Foothills CIDaniel Merrill, lieutenant, Marion CILarry Miller, captain, Southern CIDavid Mintzer, sergeant, Warren CILester Mitchell, sergeant, Columbus CIRoger Moose, assistant superintendent/custody & operations III,Alexander CINichol Moss, assistant superintendent,North Piedmont Correctional Center for WomenJamillah Myers, sergeant, Brown Creek CIDouglas Newton, lieutenant, Marion CIJoseph Norris, food service officer, Maury CIJamie Owens, training specialist II, Neuse CIJulia Peeler, food service manager I, Piedmont CICharles Phillips, lieutenant, Swannanoa CCWTerrell Pollock, sergeant, Central PrisonBobby Pruitt, sergeant, Central PrisonAkia Rogers, professional nurse, Health ServicesKimberly Ross, sergeant, Central PrisonReggielette Roundtree, sergeant, Maury CIMerrell Sasser, safety consultant I, Correction EnterprisesAllon Shabazz, food service manager I, Odom CIDenise Sherrod, programs supervisor, Franklin CCKimberly Sims, sergeant, Maury CIGilbert Smith, maintenance mechanic IV, Eastern CIKatie Smith, psychological services coordinator, Piedmont CIKenneth Smith, lieutenant, Warren CIJohnny Spearman, programs director I, Pender CICynthia Spight, case analyst, Craven CIMoses Streeter, food service officer, Maury CIRenita Summers, sergeant, Maury CISteven Thompson, sergeant, Maury CIRobert Tiffany, sergeant, Central PrisonDanny Tolbert, captain, Caledonia CIGeorge Townson, sergeant, Central PrisonAngela Wainright, purchasing officer III, Prisons AdministrationCatherine Whaley, administrative services manager, Pender CIDongel White, lieutenant, Wayne CCGary Wilkerson, lieutenant, Harnett CITammy Williams, sergeant, Mountain View CIDavid Wolfe, professional nurse, Mountain View CITodd Young, sergeant, Central PrisonLaw Enforcement DivisionSarah Faircloth, cook supervisor II, Tarheel ChallengeMichele Latshaw, food service director 1,State Highway Patrol Training AcademyJeffrey Newell, mechanical supervisor 1, Troop DJuvenile Justice DivisionWachovia Brown, human services coordinator I,Cumberland Regional Juvenile Detention CenterErika Copeland Jones, youth counselor,Jackson Youth Development Center

August 2012 | On the Scene | 25R e t i r e m e n t sRetirements in July 2012 unless indicated otherwise.Law Enforcement DivisionState Highway PatrolName, job title, location, service (years/months)Stevie W. Black, trooper, Troop E, District 9, 12ySylvia W. Brecheisen, court reporter 2, internal affairs,Raleigh, 20y11mRobert E. Digh, trooper, logistics unit, Raleigh, 22y8mDwight W. Green, trooper, Troop C HQ, Raleigh, 30y2mEdward J. Grimsley, sergeant, Troop F, District 9, 28y5mDaniel H. Harmon, trooper, accident reconstruction unit,Newton, 26y11mJoseph S. Kaylor, trooper, Troop G, District 4, 25y9mDaniel H. Kenan, trooper, Troop C, District 6, 28y2mMichael D. Marshall, trooper, Troop D, District 2, 29y1mCharles E. Thomas Jr., sergeant, Troop C, District 1, 24y9mAdult Correction DivisionWilliam Aldridge, facility maintenance supervisor III,Correction Enterprises Maintenance, 27y7mRicky Almond, correctional officer, Albemarle CI, 11y2mWalter Beadling, correctional officer, Eastern CI, 14y10mSteven Beaver, personnel analyst II, Foothills CI, 12y2mStanley Burns, correctional officer, Harnett CI, 10y1mBetty Butler, correctional officer, Harnett CI, 22y2mBruce Butler, officer II, Community Corrections District 12, 13y4mJames Carpenter, pharmacist, Central Prison, 35yJoseph Clarke, supervisor V, Correction Enterprises Sign Plant, 15y11mCynthia Cunningham, correctional officer, Harnett CI, 20y2mWilliam Flythe, correctional officer, Odom CI, 29y4mFrank Gilliland, correctional officer, Randolph CC, 19y10mAustin Gore, correctional officer, Columbus CI, 20y7mRebecca Gresham, personnel analyst III, HR Employee Relations, 28yRichard Gunter, correctional officer, Mountain View CI, 5y2mRichard Hagie, correctional officer, Avery-Mitchell CI, 28y9mVernessa Harris, sergeant, Eastern CI, 20yGeoffrey Hathaway, chief probation/parole officer,Community Corrections District 14, 31y8mCharlie Hearne, correctional officer, Morrison CI, 28y11mHenry Hough, substance abuse program administrator,Pender CI, 10y11mHarold Hudson, school educator I, Western YI, 28y7mKeith Hull, nurse supervisor, Pamlico CI, 10y4mDon Hunt, assistant superintendent/custody & operations II,Lumberton CI, 29y4mClifford Johnson, superintendent III, Craggy CC, 29y7mAugustus King, lieutenant, Caledonia CI, 30yJerry Lackey, correctional officer, Caldwell CC, 8y8mMalinee Leigh, nurse supervisor, Hoke CI, 19y10mWilliam Lemke, correctional officer, Polk CI, 12y2mAttie Locklear, correctional officer, Robeson CC, 18y6mDavid Maynor, correctional officer, Lumberton CI, 18yMae McAllister, sergeant, New Hanover CC, 22yJoseph Mitchell, training specialist II, Neuse CI, 29y2mEdward Morton, correctional officer, Marion CI, 14y9mGlenn Myers, chief probation/parole officer,Community Corrections District 22, 34y4mThomas O’Docharty, correctional officer, Odom CI, 9yTimothy Palmer, correctional officer, Columbus CI, 17yWilliam Pierce, correctional officer, Pender CI, 10y2mLarry Pressley, correctional officer, Albemarle CI, 11y2mMary Rawson, processing assistant III, Neuse CI, 17y4mLinda Renfrow, programs supervisor, Neuse CI, 22y6mBonnie Shearon, professional nurse, Fountain CCW, 13y2mYvonne Smith, correctional officer, Franklin CC, 9y4mGregory Starnes, programs supervisor, Polk CI, 29y3mJohn Wilkins, correctional sergeant, Harnett CI, 27y9mJuvenile Justice DivisionNancy Covil, juvenile court counselor supervisor,Court Services District 5, 23y11mBarbara Davis, juvenile court counselor I,Court Services District 22, 14y9mBarry Merrell, school vocational educator,C.A. Dillion Youth Development Center, 20y9mRobin Odell, school educator II,Jackson Youth Development Center, 29y10mP A S S I N G SAdult Correction DivisionJohnny Blackman, correctional officer, Central Prison, 21y9mBrian Phillips, correctional officer, Tabor CI, 2y7mDuke offers DPS employees discountedtickets to football game against CarolinaIt will be Duke vs. Carolina, and you can be there.Oct. 20, the Blue Devils will host the Tar Heels for a footballgame in Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium. Duke Athleticshas set aside 200 tickets at a discounted price of $20 each foremployees of the Department of Public Safety.In addition to watching a long rivalry play out, you willhave the opportunity for family activities before and duringthe game. Kids can enjoy face painting and inflatable bouncehouses, and all Public Safety ticket holders will be seatedtogether in the stadium, where the video board will spotlightthe group.For more information, contact Adrian Bridges at (919)684-3693 or at Abridges@duaa.duke.edu.