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First, I want to write about the Sheriff’s app. Ever since I have put the app on my phone, I have received weather, drug arrest and other important notifications. I highly recommend the app to all smart phone users.

I perceive crime being much worse than when I was a kid. We had little to no crime in the little town where I lived. We did leave our doors unlocked. My parents didn’t fear me going places alone when I was 10 years old. They had a firm belief that I would be safe.

The best place to search crime data is the FBI Data Explorer and NCSBI websites. The amount of data is overwhelming and finding what you want takes time. I figured a better option was to contact Beaufort County Sheriff Scott Hammonds. He was very accommodating and set up a meeting at the Sheriff’s Office. 

The meeting at the Sheriff’s Office included Sheriff Hammonds and two of his staff; Capt. Kevin Sitterson, Patrol Division and Capt. Kasey Neal, Special Operations. Sheriff Hammonds had several reports printed out which we reviewed.  

Data on the reports was broken down in two main categories; violent crime and property crime. Violent crime includes murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crime includes burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.

We reviewed the Sheriff’s Office Monthly Count of Offenses Reports for years 2017 through 2023. Crime has decreased from a high of 860 offenses in 2019 to 662 offenses in 2023. The clearance rate was higher in 2017 than 2023, but 2023 is higher than 2022. According to the sheriff, managed patrol significantly reduces crime. 

The county data does not include the data from the municipalities of Washington, Belhaven and Chocowinity. Each Municipality (jurisdiction) maintains and reports their data separately.

Capt. Neal provided a monthly Beaufort County Drug Overdoses Report for 2021-2024. The numbers are high; 140 for 2023 and 98 YTD 2024. Captain Neal expects the numbers to go down with the increased number of drug busts. Fentanyl is a terrible problem that has caused human suffering and deaths.

Capt. Sitterson provided a monthly shift report. It details the activities of each deputy and shift for a month. Included are the number of calls and citations issued. t’s also broken down by civil and criminal. Three call codes are also tracked; 10-84 neighborhood check, 10-89 citizen requests drive-by of home, 10-90 security survey inside school.

In other words, the work of each officer is being tracked on a monthly basis. 

The sheriff puts an emphasis on future crime by saying, “the citizens need to help too.” Preventing crime is an important part of reducing overall crime.  

Community watches have proved to be extremely effective. Little things like unknown vehicles traveling through a neighborhood and people showing up that demonstrate suspicious behavior are troubling signs. Keeping vehicles locked is important. Flood lights that come on when people enter your property help too. 

Most of all, contact the sheriff when you suspect a problem in your neighborhood. It might prevent a crime.

I thank Sheriff Hammonds, Capt. Sitterson and Cap. Neal for their help. I have a much better understanding of the importance of the work they do.

Al Klemm is a Washington resident and a former Beaufort County Commissioner.