REDUCING FEAR OF CRIME IN EC

Before he took over as Elizabeth City's new police chief, Charles
Crudup said that he was coming here with an open mind and that he was
looking forward to reducing residents' fear of crime.

On Tuesday, Crudup officially started as the city's new police chief.
We'd like to welcome him and his family to Elizabeth City. We
understand that Crudup is taking time to become acquainted with his
new department. But we'd like to list several issues that we think
will require his undivided attention if he hopes to reduce the fear of
crime here. At the forefront of most citizens' concerns is gangs.
We've reported in recent months on several shootings that police say
involved members of either the Bloods or Crips, both national gangs.
We urge the new chief to get a handle on how severe the gang threat is
and a strategy for quelling it. Another priority, as noted by recent
headlines in this newspaper, is the drug problem.

Drugs continue to plague Elizabeth City and its youth. In recent news
reports, seven students at Northeastern High School were arrested
after allegedly selling illegal drugs to an undercover officer posing
as a student. Two other students at another school also were arrested
as part of the same investigation.

We hope for the safety -- and futures -- of Elizabeth City's youth, that
Crudup can make significant progress toward curbing the trafficking
and use of drugs in the city.

We call on Crudup to continue the work already begun by the police
department to find more ways to involve the community in preventing
and reporting crime.

Also, Crudup must strive to keep city residents informed of criminal
activity and police initiatives by maintaining an open line of
communications. Keeping residents -- the people he and his 53 officers
have sworn to defend -- informed of the department's progress in its
fight against gangs, drugs and other crimes is as important as the
fight itself. City Manager Rich Olson, who recommended the city hire
Crudup, said he selected Crudup because of his experience, which
includes community policing and drug and gang enforcement.

Before coming to Elizabeth City, Crudup, 49, was chief of police in
Ayden. He began his career as a police officer in Henderson, and was
formerly chief of police and public safety for the N.C. State Capitol
Police Department. A native of Vance County, Crudup holds a bachelor's
degree in criminal justice and is a graduate of the U.S. Department of
Justice Drug Enforcement Administration school.

Based on Crudup's broad background, we feel that he is the right
person to lead Elizabeth City's police force and we look forward to
watching the department develop a successful campaign against local
crime under his command.