The Lowdown Archive

Since January 2019, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has assisted in the search for eight people with dementia who became lost. In six cases, we located the people unharmed; in two cases, the individuals died before being located.

In this edition of The Lowdown, I want to describe the many programs in place to support seniors and reduce tragedies like these. Helping members of our senior community age in place with dignity and support is central to our agency’s vision statement. It is unlikely these programs would have helped one of the deceased individuals. He was a short-term visitor from out of state and therefore not enrolled in any of our initiatives. But had the other individual been enrolled, she might still be alive. She lived alone, and by the time anyone realized she was missing, she had wandered from home, fell into a creek, and died from exposure.

Wellness checks are the simplest service we offer. Anyone with concern about an Orange County resident should call 911. [If they are calling from another county or from out of state, the number is (919) 732-5063.] A deputy will be dispatched to check on the person. If they are unable to locate the person or discover any sort of emergency, appropriate next steps will be initiated.

We have three other programs to address situations with known, ongoing needs. Our Lifetrack program is a rapid response program provided free of charge to people in danger of wandering or becoming lost such as seniors or younger people with certain conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Enrolled residents wear a bracelet containing a battery operated transmitter. If a person wanders or is otherwise lost, the caregiver calls 911. Search and rescue personnel then use a mobile receiver to pick up the signal from the missing person’s transmitter. About 40 residents are enrolled in the program. We are able to provide this equipment free of charge through the generosity of groups like the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, the Sheriff’s Office Citizen Organization, and other community partners. Call Sergeant Roberson at (919) 245-2921 to learn more.

Josh’s Hope is an informal database we maintain. People can opt in, letting deputies know critical information about a loved one with cognitive issues or mental health concerns. Essentially, the program provides deputies responding to a call with advanced knowledge that might increase how quickly the situation can be resolved. This minimizes stress for all involved.

Our third program is Seniors and Law Enforcement Together. Also known as SALT, this program is a partnership with the Department on Aging’s Project Engage program. When a referral is made about a vulnerable senior in the community, the Department on Aging asks our Community Services Division to do a needs and safety assessment of the person and his or her residence as one part of the intake process. If the person qualifies for the program, a volunteer will regularly visit and provide quarterly updates to the Department on Aging. These visits lessen social isolation and monitor the person’s changing needs. This program makes between 100 and 125 contacts with Orange County seniors each month.

There are two other county programs I want the community to know about. One is the new Community Paramedics Program. When an ambulance is dispatched to a medical call and the emergency medical technician recognizes the call involves either a person without a support system or a person with increasingly complex medical needs, he or she makes a referral to this program. Phone calls and regular home visits help keep problems from escalating and address new needs as they emerge. The community paramedics might also establish a premise alert in the dispatch system. This alert automatically notifies responding units about any special concerns at that residence. Call Kim Woodward (919) 245-6133 for more information. 

Finally, I want to tell you about the Telephone Reassurance program, a free service from the Department on Aging. Trained volunteers make morning safety-check phone calls to seniors Monday through Friday. If calls remain unanswered after three attempts, volunteers notify staff to take further action. To learn more, contact Bobby Cobb at (919) 245-4241.

Let’s keep our seniors safe and reduce avoidable tragedies. Please consider if one or more of these programs might benefit someone you care about. As always, call us if we can help.

Managing the Orange County Detention Center is one of my most important responsibilities. While inmates are in the custody of the county, we provide for their safety, medical care, and transportation to and from court. We also feed them, and in this month’s Lowdown, I want to explain how we accomplish this.

Anyone who has hosted a dinner party for a dozen people knows that preparing a meal for a large group can be challenging. Imagine this: cooking and serving three meals a day EVERY DAY for approximately 127 people. Not only that, you must meet state nutritional guidelines, you are required to accommodate religious and dietary restrictions, you have no dining room, and you must do this in a 95-year old facility.

This is not a hypothetical scenario. Juan Ortez, Trisha Corbett, Linda Booker, Ramon Rangel, Jackie Irby, and Fred McAdoo do this every day. They are the dietary staff at our detention facility, and they are unsung heroes.

Based on our average daily census of 127, our staff prepares approximately 381 meals per day, which is 2667 meals per week, and 138,684 meals per year. Our kitchen is small, measuring only 24’ x 30’. Within those 720 square feet are many pieces of commercial kitchen equipment, two large trash cans, and two of the three rolling carts used for delivering the food to the inmates. [The task requires three carts, but only two can fit in the kitchen at a time.] Actual working space is extremely limited and highly coordinated movements are required!

The kitchen operates 13 hours a day, starting at 4 am. The staff serves breakfast at 6 am, lunch at 11 am, and dinner at 4 pm. The kitchen closes at 5 pm. All meals are hot, except for the evening meal on Saturday and Sunday; those include sandwiches, carrots, and an apple.

The dietary staff washes dishes by hand before running them through a sanitizer. Weekly, they also stock the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer with supplies. It takes two hours to stock the shelves with food from one large delivery truck.

A registered dietician with the Orange County Health Department plans the meals. By state regulation, an inmate must receive two dairy servings, two fruit servings (one must be citrus), three servings of vegetables, two servings of meat or protein, and four servings of whole grain or enriched bread every day for a total of 2100- 2500 calories. We serve milk, orange juice, or unsweetened tea. If an inmate wants a sweetened drink, he or she must purchase it from the canteen.

We source much of our food locally. Latta’s Egg Ranch, located just north of Hillsborough, is our egg vendor. The North Carolina State Farmer’s Market delivers our fresh produce weekly. In order to minimize our impact on the environment, we work with a commercial compost company – it picks up our food waste twice a week – and Piedmont Biofuels comes once a month to recycle our grease.

For safety reasons, we do not serve food on hard trays. All meat must be boneless, and inmates cannot have access to metal utensils. We do not have a cafeteria; inmates eat in their cells. Unfortunately, we have not found a suitable alternative to the Styrofoam food containers we use to serve the meals. We tried biodegradable containers, but found they were not durable enough. We continue to search for a better solution.

The dietary staff, some of whom have worked in upscale restaurants, admits that working in the detention center requires an adjustment. When they arrive at work, they are locked into the facility. Some people cannot get comfortable with that reality, but most people who accept this job figure out a way to make it work for them; my most senior staffer has been with the detention center for over 18 years.

Although the work is difficult, it comes with job security. This “restaurant” is in little danger of going out of business, and Orange County employees enjoy good benefits. Additionally, the work is rewarding. The inmates often provide positive feedback, and detention officers provide assistance by cracking eggs and chopping vegetables. There is a strong sense of camaraderie among all people who work in the detention center. As Fred McAdoo, one of the cooks, told me recently, “To be successful here, you have to love the employees and you can’t hate the inmates.”

Deputies often respond to calls involving conflict, extreme emotion, and sometimes violence. A deputy faced with a tense, volatile situation has two primary goals: de-escalate the situation without the use of lethal force and provide for the safety of everyone at the scene, including him or herself.

Obviously, deputies arrive at a call with powerful tools at their disposal. They have non-lethal tools, such as handcuffs and pepper spray, and a highly lethal weapon, a Glock.40 semi-automatic handgun. If trained and certified, a deputy will also have a Taser, a conducted electrical weapon. Although rarely lethal, a Taser causes intense pain, and a person may suffer injury after falling to the ground.

However necessary it is for a public safety professional to have tools like firearms and Tasers, they are tools of last resort. In this month’s edition of The Lowdown, I want to discuss two training initiatives I employ in my office designed to provide deputies with the skills and confidence to achieve their primary goals without the use of lethal force.

The first is a system pioneered by Dr. George Thompson known as verbal judo. Thompson’s research convinced him that injuries almost always resulted from an escalation in a situation that occurred after law enforcement arrived at a scene, rather than from violence already underway prior to the arrival. He believed those trained in verbal judo would stay calmer in the face of the elevated emotions of others, deflect verbal abuse directed their way, and effectively lower hostile emotions through the use of empathy. 

Although Thompson died in 2001, his beliefs echo through my office and countless other law enforcement agencies across the nation. I arranged for the Verbal Judo Institute to train my deputies because I wanted them to be as competent with words as they are with firearms. I firmly agree with Thompson’s main premise: it is safer for everyone if deputies are able to achieve voluntary compliance through verbal judo, rather than use the strong arm of the law to force it.

The Institute not only taught deputies new skills, it also increased their confidence and lowered their anxiety in interactions with distressed, emotionally charged individuals. Deputies with verbal judo skills tend to exude an air of calm confidence others pick up on. This confidence is also built through the other training initiative we’ve invested in since I became Sheriff. Gracie Survival Tactics (GST) is a modification of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu developed by Helio Gracie in the 1920s. The system helps peace officers and military personnel prevail even against larger, stronger opponents using skills such as leverage and redirection. 

The system recognizes the unique concerns of law enforcement, for example, if a deputy has to go “hands on” with someone, he or she not only needs to gain control of that person with the minimum amount of force, the deputy also has to do so while protecting his or her own weapon.

Jon Daniel, one of my deputies, introduced me to his friend, Sunny Yu, who owns a Gracie dojo in Durham. In order to hold a GST “train the trainer” workshop, at least 40 people must attend. Sunny helped us enroll 64 participants, mostly from our agency and the surrounding area, and some from other states and countries. Members of the Gracie family came from California and spent five intensive days teaching participants the techniques of their proprietary system. Attendees practiced extensively and learned progressive methods to teach the skills to colleagues. We also invested in wrestling mats and had them installed under the detention center. Every week, my deputies and officers from the surrounding area have the opportunity to practice “rolling” with each other to improve their skills and build muscle memory.

GST, like verbal judo, is a game changer. A deputy should never look to fight, but it is ironic that those best at grappling need to do it least often. This is because they tend to project a quiet confidence that minimizes someone else’s desire to test them. This confidence also reduces a deputy’s anxiety in a tense situation, helping him or her better remember and utilize other skills and knowledge to help resolve the situation safely.

Our goal is to protect and serve everyone – even those who are agitated, intoxicated, angry, and perhaps looking to do us harm. We practice verbal judo and GST because they are effective, non-lethal ways to help us accomplish this goal.

Last month, I shared with readers the cost of a deputy’s uniform and personal equipment. This month, I provide the financial lowdown of the cost of a patrol vehicle and related equipment.

A patrol deputy responds to emergencies, prevents crime, enforces the law, and provides support services throughout the 401-square miles of Orange County. We use Dodge Chargers, equipped with a patrol package, which includes a Hemi engine, a heavy duty suspension, performance brakes, and specialized seats to accommodate duty belts. The vehicle’s base price is $30,000.

I am proud of the look of our fleet. We began phasing out our brown patrol cars in 2014, slowly replacing them with white Chargers. I subscribe to a forward moving philosophy; therefore I incorporate a star that appears to be moving forward into our new logo. I call it a dynamic star, and I like its clean, professional appearance. The graphics package, including installation, is $1612.50 per car.

A siren alerts motorists when a deputy is responding to an emergency, and a speaker projects the deputy’s voice when necessary. The siren, speaker, microphone holder, and mounting bracket cost $1331.25. A cruiser also has front, side, and rear emergency lights for visibility and safety, and spot and alley lights for security sweeps and scene illumination. This lighting equipment, including the hardware, cables, power inverters, and cost of installation, adds $3810.95 to the tally.

The patrol car is a mobile office. In it, a deputy receives and transmits information, writes reports, prints citations, enters information into statewide databases, makes phone calls, investigates incidents, and stays up-to-date on agency policy. The workhorses for these tasks are the in-car radio system ($6000), and a laptop computer ($2000) with a mouse ($30) and printer ($311.52). The computer must be securely mounted in the car ($379) and the accompanying equipment is either housed within or mounted to a specially designed console box ($693.49), which doubles as an arm rest and cup holder.

Patrol cars have a camera mounted on the dashboard which activates automatically when a deputy turns on the lights and siren; it also records a short amount of pre-event data. The dash camera’s primary purpose is to record traffic stops, both for accountability and investigative purposes. A car also has a rear facing camera, used to capture activity and speech in the backseat when a deputy transports someone. 

The vehicle is modified for such purposes with the installation of a compartment ($838.49) designed to keep people safe and secure during transport. The advantages of the in-car cameras go beyond visual documentation. The metadata they collect – data about data – are also crucial. The data include the date, time, speed, and GPS coordinates of the car. This is helpful, for example, if a deputy needs to go back and search for weapons or evidence a suspect may have thrown from his or her car during a chase. The cameras run about $4000 for the pair. Cars are also equipped with a $55 Geotab, a fleet management device that constantly collects information about the car, including whether it is on or off, its location, and how fast it is travelling.

Three kits (fingerprint, first aid, and evidence collection) are in every car. Each is also stocked with a flotation device, gas mask, fire extinguisher, and a disposable biohazard suit. Combined, these tools cost $555. Although not every car has a radar unit, the percentage is significant enough that I include the $2500 cost in the price of our hypothetical car, now totaling $54,117.20.

There are three other pieces of equipment I want to mention, even though not all cars have them. Lidar is an instrument that uses laser technology to measure the speed of a motorist. Lidar is handheld, especially useful on crowded roadways, and costs $3000. The second specialty device is an automated external defibrillator (AED). Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the biggest killers out there; we therefore need AEDs to effectively protect and serve our community. Eventually, I want an AED in every patrol car, but at $1,500 each, it will take some time to reach that goal. The third piece of equipment is a $750 rifle, which requires a $67.67 trunk mount.

So, here is the lowdown: most cars cost $54,117.20 and some cost $59,434.87. I hope this accounting increases your understanding of the complexity and variety of deputies’ duties, and provides you an appreciation for the amount of equipment used in the performance of their professional responsibilities.

When you see one of my deputies out and about, you no doubt notice the uniform and a lot of gear. You might wonder, “What does all that cost?” Today, I will give you the financial lowdown.

Let’s assume a crisp November morning. The deputy leaves home in a long-sleeved shirt wearing their duty jacket. The cost of footwear, slacks, shirt, jacket, belts, and hat comes to $881.39. I say belts because a deputy generally wears two – a regular one and a duty belt designed to carry equipment. The duty belt clips around the wearer’s waist; it is linked to the inner belt by four small rings called belt keepers. This $881.39 price tag also includes the deputy’s badge, patches, and credentials. Aside from tactical boots ($135.00), the campaign hat is the most expensive article. This distinctive headwear readily identifies the wearer as law enforcement, and it shields the deputy from sun and rain. Such a hat costs $115.15 plus $127.00 for the badge, cords, and a rainproof cover.

Earlier this year, I implemented a significant uniform change. Deputies now wear an outer carrier vest over their uniform shirts; this vest contains custom fit bullet-resistant panels. Additionally, it allows deputies to remove some gear from their duty belt, and carry it in the vest pockets. Deputies used to wear this protection under their shirts. This compressed the wearer’s ribcage, and it did not expand or contract as the deputy changed position. Moreover, all gear needed to hang on the deputy’s belt, which made it difficult to sit comfortably while driving or maintain appropriate posture while standing. The new outer carriers result in less hip and back pain; they help a deputy stay cooler; and they minimize fatigue caused by the physical compression of the older style vests. The protective panels cost $670.00, the outer carrier is $75.00, and the deputy’s name plate is $20.00. Grants help pay for this protection. The cost thus far for our deputy’s attire is $1626.39.

A deputy carries certain tools at all times. Some are small and relatively inexpensive, such as a pouch for latex gloves, a set of handcuffs, and a handcuff carrier. A can of pepper spray and a holder adds another $45.00. The tally for these smaller items is $120.00. Each deputy also has items for occasional use: a rain jacket, a traffic safety vest, and a tie for formal duties such as funeral escorts. Combined, these cost $181.53.

Body cameras are also new to our agency this year; we started using Motorola Remote Speaker Mic Cameras in June. These combine a high resolution camera, a microphone, and a speaker into a compact device placed on the deputy’s chest. We were slow and deliberate in approaching this new frontier in law enforcement. Such cameras are a significant investment; we therefore gathered feedback from other agencies about various models before making our selection. The $880.00 price tag includes the camera, the battery, and a cord to tether the device to our radios.

Speaking of radios, it may surprise some to learn the radio is our most vital piece of equipment. The ability to communicate immediately without “dead zones” is essential for safety and service. A deputy must be able to hear calls as they are dispatched, communicate with each other, ask for help, or radio for additional resources ALL of the time, no matter where they are in the county. My deputies carry Motorola APX 8000 radios; each costs $6,831.25 including a service contract. Lieutenant Whitehurst works with our radio vendor to negotiate the best price. He frequently tells me, “It is not a radio. It is a computer you talk on,” and he is right. The technology in these things is amazing, lifesaving, and expensive.

All deputies carry a Glock .40 semi-automatic handgun. With a holster, ammunition, and magazines this weapon costs $612.00. If certified, a deputy also carries a Taser, a conducted electrical weapon, providing the option to subdue someone in a dangerous situation using less-than-lethal force. Tasers are $1400, plus another $30.00 for the holder.

Returning to our initial question about cost, a deputy leaves home with $11,681.17 in clothing and equipment. Almost all of this is required by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission for a certified deputy; every penny helps deliver service and reduce risk. The deputy then climbs into a patrol vehicle. For the lowdown on the cost of that, tune in next month!

In last month’s edition of The Lowdown, I gave an overview of the larger divisions of your Sheriff’s Office. This month, I highlight our smaller divisions.

Common law established the duties of the Sheriff; some of these have subsequently been codified in the NC General Statutes. Several of these duties go beyond the responsibilities you may be familiar with from your observation of municipal police departments. Managing the detention center is one such function, and I wrote about it last month. A sheriff must also provide facility services to the courthouses and maintain a civil division.

Deputies who provide services to the courthouse, also known as bailiffs, screen people as they enter the courthouse, confiscating weapons or other contraband. A bailiff announces the entrance of the judge into a courtroom, sets expectations for behavior while court is in session, and enforces courthouse rules. During a jury trial, they ensure jurors are appropriately sequestered and they ensure no unauthorized communication about a trial occurs. Bailiffs also escort inmates to and from court during a trial, preventing escape and protecting the inmate.

The civil process division addresses another unique responsibility of a sheriff, which is to provide timely service of all civil documents. These deputies work with a specialized body of law, serving more than 8000 papers per year. These include magistrate summonses, civil summonses relating to lawsuits (including divorce papers), subpoenas, orders to file inventories, and notices of hearings. For efficiency, deputies mail a notification letter to involved parties, asking them to come to the sheriff’s office for service. More than 35% do, saving tax dollars and maintaining some control and privacy while receiving their civil process documents. These deputies also enforce the judgements of a court. For example, if the court orders a summary ejectment (an eviction) and a landlord subsequently follows procedures relating to a waiting period and the filing of a writ, a civil division deputy will remove the occupant and return the premises to the landlord. In civil cases with a money judgement, these deputies attempt collection.

A Sheriff’s Office is known as a “law enforcement” agency and, while true, this term is too narrow. We are equally concerned with safety, service, and protection. Our Community Services Division seeks to educate residents on matters of crime prevention, home security, personal safety, and drug abuse prevention. This group assists neighborhoods with Community Watch programs, and it works to improve the lives of people with special safety needs, such as the elderly and those with emotional or intellectual differences. This division works with partner agencies on child safety initiatives, organizes community events such as National Night Out, hosts student groups, and coordinates our popular Citizens’ Academy.

Our Crisis Intervention Unit provides services to people in personally traumatic situations, such as sexual assault or domestic violence. Not all law enforcement agencies offer this service, but former Sheriff Lindy Pendergass established such a team in 1993, and I am proud to continue this important program. Our unit includes a sworn officer and a civilian specialist; they provide domestic violence training to community volunteers and law students. Most importantly, they work with the criminal justice system and community agencies to provide coordinated services and emotional support for survivors of intimate violence. They are also available to assist in situations involving trauma to a child.

The Crisis Unit provides procedural information and emotional support to people seeking 50B protective orders, which are often a helpful tool for an individual seeking safety from an abusive partner. Although these are civil court actions, once obtained, violations of a 50B order may result in criminal charges. The Crisis Unit recently helped Orange County become the tenth county in North Carolina to make electronic filing available for ex parte 50B orders.

Two other divisions, operating behind the scenes, are instrumental to our functioning. One is our small but mighty records division, which manages an enormous volume of material, tracks statistics, responds to public records requests, processes pistol purchase and concealed handgun permits, and conducts criminal history checks. The other is our training division, which coordinates the training sworn personnel (deputies and detention officers) must achieve to begin their careers. This division also tracks what each deputy must do to maintain their certifications and helps them attain advanced specialized training.

As always, please let me know what questions you have or what topics you would like me to explore in future editions of The Lowdown. Email your thoughts and inquiries to my Public Information Officer at astemper@orangecountync.gov.

Orange County is 409 square miles. Within those boundaries live approximately 145,000 people. The duties of a modern sheriff’s office are complex, but protecting people and property is our primary responsibility.

In this month’s edition of The Lowdown, I want to take you inside the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) and describe how we approach that responsibility from a structural perspective, examining our larger divisions.

One of the main ways we protect people and property is through our patrol division. This is likely the area of law enforcement with which you are most familiar. The county is divided into geographical areas; a deputy patrols each area assessing and promoting safety, conducting house/building/church checks, responding to calls for service, and enforcing traffic laws within that area. We accomplish this with approximately 40 deputies assigned to four rotating shifts, covering the county 24 hours a day throughout the year. Perhaps most importantly, we are out in the community, making personal contacts with residents and business owners, and generally meeting people where they are.

The OCSO also protects the community through its management of the detention center. Often called a jail, the detention center houses people awaiting trial, defendants serving sentences for misdemeanor crimes, and federal inmates who need a bed. The detention center also provides temporary custody for public inebriates and those under domestic violence safety holds. Our average daily census is at or near our capacity of 129. The detention center is always open; inmates receive three meals a day and any necessary medical care. The approximate cost per inmate is $111 per day.

The specially trained detention officers and deputies who work in the jail are tasked with providing a safe, secure, and clean environment for persons committed there. Most road deputies in Orange County start their careers working in the detention center. Deputies report this experience as invaluable for learning the communication skills they will need working with the public. The detention center staff also includes dietary, medical, and transport personnel. Transport officers coordinate transfers between jails and prisons, and to and from hospitals and medical facilities. Approximately 45 people serve in the detention center division.

When crimes are reported and not resolved immediately by the responding deputy, cases are referred to our Criminal Investigations Division. These 11 men and women have specialized training in investigative techniques, crime scene analysis, and case management. Some of them further specialize in death scene investigation, arson, fraud, larceny, burglary, sex crimes, and cyber-crimes. Investigators analyze large quantities of information, establish leads, and conduct interviews. Some investigators serve on specialized task forces where multiple agencies share information, training, and resources to address crimes that cross jurisdictional boundaries, such as internet crimes against children.

The OCSO also has additional investigators working undercover in narcotics; they strive to minimize the sale and delivery of illegal substances within our county and in the surrounding areas. The investigative division is also responsible for our K9 teams who focus on narcotics detection, tracking, article search, and criminal apprehension of violent offenders. We have three such partnerships; these pairs complete 16 hours of training per month.

Another way we protect the people of Orange County is through the School Resource Officer program, which began during the 1993-1994 school year. A School Resource Officer (SRO) is a certified law enforcement officer permanently assigned to provide coverage to a school. We have 18 deputies serving as SROs – at least one in each of the schools in the Orange County School System. These officers support student success in school using skills gained in their specialized training. SROs are fully aware of the dangers of the school to prison pipeline. They provide mentorship to vulnerable students; they guide students toward positive decisions; they search for appropriate resolutions to disputes; and they promote diversion programs designed to keep students out of the judicial system. Essentially, SROs seek to instill in each student an exciting vision for that student’s future, and they help him or her avoid roadblocks to achieving those goals.

The divisions described above account for approximately 75% of personnel assignments at the OCSO. Next month, I will write about our smaller divisions and the areas of our office less well known to the public, including our crisis unit, the civil division, the court security team, crime prevention, records, training, and administration. As always, please let me know what questions you have or what topics you would like me to explore in future editions of The Lowdown. Email your thoughts and inquiries to my Public Information Officer at astemper@orangecountync.gov.

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This article is a monthly feature in the News of Orange; it usually runs in the first monthly edition of the paper. However, I am writing this extra column to make readers aware of a vastly underutilized safety service available in our county; one so important I did not want to wait for September.

I will begin by describing the situation we faced last week. Wednesday morning a 75-year-old person with dementia wandered away from home in the early morning hours. After conducting a quick search, her husband reported her missing. Following an intense, coordinated search effort, rescuers found her at late Friday morning, almost 53 hours later, lying in a creek. Although she needed medical assessment and treatment for exposure, she suffered no serious injuries.

Statistics tell us that 75% of lost people with dementia are located within 1.2 miles of their last known point; this proved accurate in this case. When found, the woman was only .5 miles from her home and approximately 400 yards from the back of the nearest house.

We had a magnificent response from the statewide response management system. In all, more than 325 people from 36 agencies assisted in the search, and we had many more willing to help. We primarily used people with specialized training in search and rescue. Given the difficult wooded terrain, dense foliage, extreme humidity, and deep ravines, the search was a surprisingly technical. Searchers moved about on hands and knees in some areas. We also used many canine assets; these dogs provided information about where she had likely been. People with dementia tend to “ping pong” off obstacles, especially when lost. Consequently, the dogs did not have one scent trail to follow. It is possible the woman crisscrossed the terrain before ultimately landing in the creek.

The behavior profile for lost people with dementia predicts searchers will find the missing person in brush, along fence lines, in an outbuilding, or in a low-lying area. The lost person will often not call out to rescuers, even when they are passing nearby. We therefore needed to contact all nearby residents to ask them to search their properties carefully, particularly crawl spaces, gardens, vehicles, and under decks. Unfortunately, we had limited ability to make direct contact with residents of that area because only about a dozen people had registered their phones with the reverse 911 system. Usually used to warn people of danger such as severe weather, environmental hazards, or nearby criminal activity, we wanted to use this system to provide instructions about the specific assistance we needed from the woman’s neighbors.

When most people had landline telephones, reverse 911 systems had the ability to penetrate deeply into defined geographical areas. Now, few people have landlines, and people must opt in to register their cell phones. This has greatly diminished our ability to reach large numbers of people quickly.

In Orange County, OC Alerts is an invaluable tool to enhance YOUR safety. Not only would it have been useful to get specific messaging out to the missing person’s neighbors, it allows emergency management personnel to provide critical, time sensitive information in a variety of situations. If your neighborhood is under an evacuation order, for instance, you want to know that information as soon as possible.

Please go to www.ReadyOrange.org. This page contains information about disaster and emergency preparedness. The link to sign up for OC alerts is prominent in the middle of this page. Create an account, provide your contact numbers, and check the boxes to identify which type of alerts you

want to receive. The system also allow you to identify special needs you or your family may have, and you can indicate if you have specialized training or are willing to volunteer your skills or equipment during a crisis situation. [Select GMT: Eastern Standard Time America/New York as your time zone.]

I am delighted this search ended successfully. The event highlighted the amazing spirit and can-do attitude among people who choose emergency services as their life’s work. We are so grateful for the flood of resources we had from all over the state, and we appreciate each donation, every call of support, and all the people who volunteered, whether we were able to deploy them or not.

The men and women of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office work every day to improve the public safety of people who live in or travel through our area. Please do your part to help us help you. Register your phone(s) with OC Alerts. Remember:

If we can't reach you, we can't alert you!

Thank you for reading this, my first column for the News of Orange. I am humbled every day by the trust the voters placed in me when they first elected me as the county’s 47th Sheriff in 2014, and when they reelected me in 2018.

Obviously, I find law enforcement interesting and engaging – I chose to make it my life’s work. Each month, through this column, I will attempt to give readers a behind the badge look at what, why, and how we do what we do in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Let me know your interests - I can write about philosophy, a day in the life, our K9 team, equipment costs, NARCAN, the anatomy of an eviction, how we interface with 911, and much more.

This week, I thought I would start with a little specific history about the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and some general information about the office of the sheriff.

In the 267-year history of Orange County, 45 people have taken the oath of office as sheriff (two served twice). Many terms were short. In fact, two sheriffs started and ended their service in the same year: John Hawkins in 1780 and E. H. Ray in 1867. Moreover, it took 22 sheriffs to cover the first 47 years of law enforcement in the county. By contrast, I am only the third sheriff elected in the last 61 years! Voters elected me after Sheriff A. Lindy Pendergrass, the county’s longest serving sheriff, decided not to seek re-election after 32 years. Prior to that, C.D. Knight was sheriff for 24 years – I began my career working for him.

Formed in 1752, Orange County takes its name from William of Orange V of England, the land grant holder. It originally consisted of what we now know as Orange, Alamance, Durham, Chatham, Caswell and Person counties. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office began that same year. Alexander Mebane was the first sheriff, serving from 1752-1754. The town of Mebane, originally incorporated as Mebanesville in 1881, bears his name.

The concept of a sheriff stretches back through time; one of the earliest mentions is in the Bible, where sheriffs acted as supervisors for King Nebuchadnezzar. The responsibilities of sheriffs carried over to England when King Alfred the Great divided the land into “Shires” and appointed “Rieves” to oversee them. Eventually “shire rieves” became “Sheriff.” In those days, a sheriff administered the law, assembled armies, apprehended offenders, and passed on information (initially by word of mouth) about criminals to neighboring jurisdictions.

The Office of the Sheriff made its way across the ocean and into the new world. One of the first acts decided on by the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts was the formation of a Sheriff/Constable for the settlement. The Sheriff was an officer of the court, collector of public taxes and private levies, keeper of prisons, and the public hangman.

As the thirteen colonies became the United States, the Office of Sheriff reflected the new government’s design. North Carolina in 1776 was one of many states that put the position of Sheriff into their state constitution. Of course, at this point, Orange County had already established the office 24 years earlier! Once the position was in the state constitution, voters elected the sheriff and he or she was no longer appointed by the King or Governor. The sheriff is in the unique position of being active in all three branches of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, the courts, and corrections.

It is important to realize sheriffs’ offices did not exist in the way we think of them today until the mid-19th century. Citizens used to be legally bound to be ready at the command of the sheriff to help arrest felons. You may be familiar with the concept of a posse from watching westerns on television; a sheriff would deputize ordinary people to help apprehend criminals. People acting on behalf of the sheriff in such situations were subject to the same protections and consequences that the sheriff faced, yet they had no training or experience. People who did not serve when commanded were subject to fines. Today, highly trained deputies assist me with my duties. I am grateful I do not have to grab people off the street every time someone calls 911!

I look forward to this monthly chance to give you the lowdown. Please suggest ideas for future columns by emailing my Public Information Officer at astemper@orangecountync.gov. Thank you!