Avens sworn in as president of NC Police Execs Association

Elizabeth City’s interim police chief was sworn in last week as president of North Carolina’s largest and oldest police officers association.

James E. Avens Jr. took over as the top leader of the North Carolina Police Executives Association on July 16, succeeding outgoing president Chief Estella Patterson of the Raleigh Police Department, according to a city police press release.

Established in August 1947, the North Carolina Police Executives Association is comprised of top executives in federal, state, municipal and campus police agencies, and in corporate law enforcement and security firms. The NCPEA is responsible for the training and development of police professionals across the state, according to the release.

The NCPEA, which currently has more than 4,000 members, also played a pivotal role in creation of the North Carolina Police Information Network.

“Recognizing the need for timely and accurate information in law enforcement and criminal justice decision-making, the association collaborated with various groups in the early 1960s to enhance the information collection and dissemination process,” the release states. “By 1968, with joint efforts from the NCPEA, the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association, and the Governor’s Committee on Law and Order, strides were taken to leverage modern computer technology in the fight against crime.”

The NCPEA also supports legislative initiatives that promote “progressive and professional police services,” according to the release.

Avens said he’s “excited about the opportunities ahead” for the NCPEA. His priorities for the organization include increasing its membership, expanding statewide training opportunities for all law enforcement agencies in North Carolina, and strengthening financial support for regional training opportunities, including expansion of the 2025 NCPEA Summer Training Conference. Avens noted that representatives from more than 60 local, state, and federal agencies attended this year’s conference.

Avens said in the release that approximately 70% of the state’s 400 law enforcement agencies “are unable to afford training beyond what is offered free by state agencies.”

“It is important for the North Carolina Police Executives Association to continue to lead the charge of providing the most up-to-date training to law enforcement officers across this great state,” Avens said. “It will take all of us working together to make a positive difference in our local communities and communities across this state.”