King: His 2-pronged approach to policing paying off in Edenton

As Chief Henry A. King prepares for retirement, he said a noticeable increase in community cooperation with law enforcement and Edenton’s system of surveillance cameras and gunshot detectors are examples of a two-pronged approach to law enforcement.

He said his first priority was to energize the community’s resistance to violence, crime and gang activity. Then, he said the department has looked to technology as a force multiplier in the fight against criminality.

King, who is 51, said he plans to retire on Sept. 1, leaving direct police work to enter state employment, where he hopes to work in a more administrative capacity. He said he hopes to return to his hometown of Durham, a move his wife looks forward to.

King came to Edenton in 2018 after service in the U.S. Marine Corps and a career with the Rocky Mount Police. He said he worked in all areas of police work in Rocky Mount, something that prepared him well for his role as Edenton’s police chief.

King came to the Edenton department at a moment of rising public concern about gang activity and gun violence. King’s response was to reach out to the community, urging a “see something, say something” approach, asking residents to report crimes and testify against criminals.

Much of that effort concentrated on building relationships of trust.

“See something, say something. I really hope that continues, that the relationship building my staff and I have been building gets out there,” he said.

King said officers have been coaching youth basketball at Parks and Recreation, building relationships with kids. He said such proactive efforts prepare for those inevitable moments of tension.

“It doesn’t take but one incident in California where a cop does something crazy, and all of a sudden, we’re starting all over from the beginning again, even though it wasn’t us,” King said, adding that he’s seen progress in public attitudes toward police.

“Citizens are calling us, identifying people we’re looking for, and helping locate individuals,” he said. “They are providing information on individuals who are committing violent crimes and drugs. They’ll pick up the phone and call. I appreciate that and thank these citizens every day because that’s what community policing is. The true definition of community policing is when we work together.”

King said many things need to be addressed if a community hopes to reduce crime. Single-parent homes, educational opportunities, and student motivation are important. Cutting dropout rates all help save youth from the consequences of crime. Changing the trajectory for youth is the best way to stop gang and gun violence, King said.

“Some of these kids are not getting educated or dropping out of school. They do not understand that getting into gangs is going to cause them to end up in one of two places: jail and prison,” he said.

King said the second prong of his strategy has been to catch and convict criminals. He said he’s worked with regional law enforcement and prosecutors to improve cooperation, including a recent summit of area law enforcement on gang activity held in Edenton.

He also said the Edenton Police Department has invested in technology as a force multiplier, installing gunshot detector microphones and surveillance cameras around the town. King said the investment has paid off, but he declined to discuss cases because prosecutions are still ongoing.

A recent shooting across the street from the high school saw police converge on the scene after computers picked up the gunshot’s sound and triangulated the location. Squad cars arrived in that case before a telephone report was received.

King said arresting criminals is not enough, though. Convictions and punishment are still part of the equation. After that, the person, once released, needs to be reintegrated into society. He cited Jimbo’s Jumbos Peanuts and Regulator Marine as two businesses with outstanding records of working with ex-offenders and reintegrating them into the community.

Asked if there is more to do, King said there absolutely is. He said much of what he had discussed needed years of further work if community policing is to become effective. Then he smiled and said there are still a few technological tricks he hopes the Edenton police department will be able to employ.

He described a central drone that could be mounted in the center of Edenton’s 5 square incorporated miles, the range the drone can fly. Equipped with infrared and other cameras, it could get to a crime scene before the first police cruiser, track violent criminals in the dark, and inform officers what they are up against before they arrive.

“I want citizens to realize that while we are considered a small town, we have big-town ideas and are on the cutting edge,” he said. “There are a lot of cities that are bigger than us and don’t have that technology. Don’t write off your police department. It is top notch and we are leading northeastern North Carolina.”