GET TOUGHER

In Robeson County, Top Police Officials Must Set Higher Standards

Robeson County's sheriff and Lumberton's police chief want to rebuild lost
public trust in their law-enforcement organizations. Good. They're the only
ones who can. The culture of an organization - be it private or government
- - is created from the top down.

They also have their work cut out for them. The people of Robeson County
have good reasons to be skeptical of law enforcement.

In the Sheriff's Office, the State Bureau of Investigation seized records
and is conducting an investigation of the Drug Enforcement Division.
Sheriff Kenneth Sealey inherited the trouble. His predecessor, Glenn
Maynor, asked the SBI to step in, then resigned for health reasons.

The problem is Sealey's to fix. The SBI's ongoing presence - and the fact
that the certification of the former head of the division's law enforcement
has since been revoked - aren't Sealey's only migraines.

Two deputies were arrested in September on charges related to a
home-invasion case. One deputy was sentenced for a misdemeanor; the other's
case is pending. Earlier this month, a detective was arrested on kidnapping
and robbery charges. When law enforcers make headlines as lawbreakers, it's
serious.

Sealey is up for election next year, but what he does now to deal with
these disturbing problems is the most important thing he can show the voters.

Lumberton police troubles aren't as numerous. They are nevertheless deeply
troubling. A former police lieutenant was sentenced to prison for tampering
with a witness and making false statements to the FBI. He was accused of
planting evidence. Another officer was charged with giving investigators
fictitious information. That's a nightmare for a police department.

Chief Robert Grice said his department is "moving back to normalcy." That
isn't where the department needs to be - it must exceed that standard. But
it seems he has the right idea. He said any form of corruption must be
brought to light. He's right.

Both the sheriff and the chief should do whatever it takes to make sure
that attitudes of old in Robeson law enforcement aren't attitudes of
present officers and deputies.

If it takes putting every law enforcement officer through a refresher
course on ethics, integrity, law and procedures, it must be done. If it
takes tougher policies, changes of supervisors or even consultants to come
in to check for weaknesses in the structure - that's what it will take.

The only sure way for the sheriff and chief to rebuild faith in law
enforcement is to enforce the highest ethical and professional standards
from within, and to accept nothing less.