To serve and protect, law enforcement officers spend Christmas protecting the community - WCTI12.com
NEW BERN, Craven County — People in Eastern North Carolina spent the holiday with family and friends, while law enforcement officers spent the night away from their families.
NewsChannel12 spent the day with Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes. He said his holiday plans aren't about presents or stocking; but instead, they are about keeping the Craven County community safe.
"We know what we signed up for; we do work 24/7 365," Sheriff Hughes stated.
Instead of Christmas lights, the Sheriff saw police lights, and instead of Christmas carols, he listened to the police scanner because crime doesn't take the holidays off.
"During the holiday season, we're probably going to see more larcenies, breaking into unlocked vehicles, property crimes is really what we see an uptick on, " Sheriff Hughes explained.
Officials with the Sheriff's Office said they are beefing up patrols and doubling the number of deputies working.
"Because it's one of the busiest traveled holidays, we've got more deputies on the road, trying to keep people in line in terms of drunk driving. Also, in our busy shopping areas and residential areas, we've beefed up patrols quite a bit because unfortunately, we've had a problem with people's packages being stolen off their front porches," Sheriff Hughes said.
Some of those calls they see Christmas Day, and other times of the year, are ones first responders won't soon forget.
"We know were going to see overdoses. There's going to be sights we can't un-see . We know were going to see children neglected or abused, there's going to be sex crimes, human trafficking, fatal car collisions, our job is to serve and protect and to help these people."
Although Sheriff Hughes didn't spend Christmas eating dinner with family or gathered around the tree with friends, he said he is still grateful to work alongside his team.
"They're very passionate about what they do. They love serving the residents of Craven County," Sheriff Hughes expressed.
Sheriff Hughes believes the only gift he needed this Christmas was the chance to serve the community and to keep the streets safe.
"We're very fortunate to have the support of the community. We've got a lot to be thankful for, but we also have a lot of residents that need help," Sheriff Hughes said.
Law officials said if residents in Craven County will be out of town, let the Sheriff's Office know and deputies will check on the home.
source: https://wcti12.com/news/local/to-serve-and-protect-law-enforcement-officers-spend-christmas-protecting-the-community
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