N.C. Town Disbands Police Force: 'We Can't Compete with Larger Agencies'

A North Carolina town voted to dissolve its police department during a contentious council meeting Tuesday.

Along with disbanding the police force by a 4-1 vote, the Wingate Town Council approved a contract with the Union County Sheriff's Office to provide law enforcement coverage for the community, WJZY-TV reports. Town officials said the inability to attract officers in order to keep the department' fully staffed was the primary for the decision to do away with the agency.

The police department is budgeted for seven officers. Earlier this month, Town Manager Brad Sellers told WJZY only four positions were currently filled, and the agency has struggled with staffing for roughly two years.

“We finally came to the realization that we just can’t compete with these larger agencies,” Sellers said.

A post on a recently created separate Facebook page expressed disappointment over the council's decision.

"The Town of Wingate Commissioners, the Mayor of the Town of Wingate and the Wingate Town Manager have agreed to dissolve the Wingate Police Department," the post stated. "The vote was 4-1 and our Officers are devastated. We would like to share how much we love and support our community. Our Officers couldn't ask for better residents."

While council members met in closed session during Tuesday's meeting, current officers expressed their concerns with eliminating the department.

“Our future is on the chopping block,” Officer Sterling Hall told residents attending the meeting. “Now, as gentlemen, as men of Christ, as family men, that’s one burden that we have to carry.”

The officers' opinions weren't met favorably with some residents. One attendee said he thought the officers were "very unprofessional" for speaking up while town lawmakers were in closed session.

Another resident expressed his dissatisfaction with the department's performance as a whole.

“We need better law enforcement in Wingate,” he said. “Twenty-one calls in one week missed by the police department because the sheriff had to come handle it for us. We headed in that direction a long time ago.”

Even though the Town Council made a decision concerning the police force and law enforcement coverage for the community, it's unclear when the department will officially shut down.

“We have no idea going forward what’s about to happen,” Hall said. “The only thing I will tell you is for the next 12 hours I will be answering calls in Wingate. I will be servicing our citizens. Tomorrow morning we’ll have an officer on. Tomorrow evening as well. We’re just going to take it day by day.”