OFFICIALS SAY LUMBERTON POLICE PROBE HURTING MORALE

LUMBERTON - The police chief and the city manager say they hope an SBI
investigation of two Lumberton police officers is over soon.

They say morale in the Police Department has suffered since the State Bureau
of Investigation began looking into allegations that Lt. Leon Oxendine and
Officer James Jordan mishandled evidence during a drug investigation last
year.

Oxendine and Jordan have been on paid administrative leave since late
January.

District Attorney Johnson Britt asked the SBI to investigate after receiving
a complaint. The SBI has not set a specific time for the length of the
investigation.

There has been much discussion throughout the city about the officers being
placed on leave. Residents wonder what the scope of the investigation
entails.

Police Chief Robert Grice and City Manager Todd Powell said Friday that they
are ready for the SBI to complete its investigation so the city can move
forward.

"Any time you have (an investigation), the longer it goes without resolution
it creates worse problems,'' Powell said. "It's always better if you can get
it quickly resolved. The waiting is of course tough on the people directly
involved and their co-workers. From an administrative standpoint, we would
like some type of resolution. We just want to be fair to everybody.''

Powell and Grice said they believe other employees in the Police Department
have responded well to the scrutiny.

Oxendine commanded the city's select enforcement team, a group of five
officers trained to target high crime, drug-infested areas. Jordan, who has
worked for the department since August 2001, was a member of the unit.

Grice said the unit is an important part of the department because it
targets violent offenders. He said the investigation has hampered the unit's
capability somewhat because the team is operating with only three officers.

Capt. Clayton Oxendine, who commands the investigative division, has assumed
responsibility of the unit. He is not related to Leon Oxendine.

Grice said he does not know how long Leon Oxendine and Jordan will be out.

"Any time you lose two people out of a department this size, it certainly
can affect your operation,'' Grice said. "We are waiting for the results of
the investigation. Hopefully it will end shortly and we will know what
direction to go.''

Leon Oxendine has worked for the department in a variety of positions since
1978. He was formerly commander of the police substation in west Lumberton.

He and Jordan could not be reached for comment.

Earlier investigations

Grice is no stranger to handling difficult situations within the department.
The SBI has probed three shootings in separate incidents involving Lumberton
officers since 2000. The officers were cleared of any wrongdoing in all
three instances.

Two men were shot to death during confrontations with police in a
three-month period in mid-2001. Five officers, including Jordan, were placed
on paid administrative leave while the SBI investigated the shootings.

It is standard procedure for the SBI to investigate shootings involving
police officers.

Powell said internal probes and investigations by other agencies are common.
He said the difficulty arises when the cases drag on.

"Investigations are natural,'' Powell said. "Things happen and agencies or
cities have to look into them. That's normal. What's difficult is it gets
into the public domain when it's not resolved. The regular officer is then
faced with questions from the public. It can be very difficult on them. If
extra time is what it takes to get it properly resolved, then that's the
proper thing to do.''