Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood was a part of the 94th Annual Sheriff Training Conference last week.
Sheriffs from across North Carolina gather annually to share their ideas and processes with one another, to learn together and train on new tactics.
The conference focused on building leadership within each community and standing strong together in response to the negativity towards law enforcement nationwide.
“A lot of people have drawn focus on law enforcement and those programs within the community – or lack-there-of – that builds trust, establish bridges and deal with the societal ills that law enforcement have to deal with on a daily basis,” Blackwood said.
Blackwood said he’s never seen threats against law enforcement simply because the jobs that they do.
“This is the first time that I can remember being involved in any type of law enforcement gathering where so many of our leaders were walking around shaking hands and hugging each other, saying ‘I love you,’ because we realize that tomorrow we may not be there,” Blackwood said.
Blackwood said he hopes that they can figure out a way to reduce crime to minimize contentious interactions in order to create less hate and more unity within the community.
“We don’t go out and create the call, the call calls us. So if we can reduce crime, enable a situation where we don’t have to come to these meetings with blue lights behind us, but rather come together in friendship and helping one another with the problems we see facing us,” Blackwood said. “As a community, I’d like to think we are a bit unique in Orange County and we do have so many people on both sides of the table who are willing to come together and dissolve that space between us and working collaboratively to make things better for everybody.”
The North Carolina Sheriff’s Association also discussed updates on laws and procedures and participated in training with body-worn cameras and dashboard cameras.
Blackwood said he was overwhelmed with the hospitality of the sheriff in Brunswick County and his staff during the conference.
Related Stories
‹
Chatham and Durham Sheriffs, Former Congressman Among Local Dogwood Award RecipientsSheriff Mike Roberson, Sheriff Clarence Birkhead and former U.S. Congressman David Price are among the latest locals to earn a Dogwood Award.
Bill Defining Antisemitism in North Carolina Signed by GovernorWritten by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday signed legislation that places an official definition of antisemitism into state law, which supporters say could help law enforcement determine whether someone should be charged under current hate crime prohibitions based on race, religion or nationality. The measure came to Cooper’s desk after the Senate […]
Case Heard by NC Supreme Court May Affect How Partisan Officials File Voter Fraud ClaimsThe North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday for a civil suit around four voters from Guilford and Brunswick County.
'We Are Part of the Problem': Orange County Sheriff Speaks on Systemic RacismAs the Black Lives Matter movement continues to spur protests and discussion, there is a call for structural change and reform on a national and local level. 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck spoke with Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood to hear his thoughts on systematic racism in law enforcement and how we can effectively ‘do […]
Orange County Sheriff Talks COVID, Confusing Orders and Pandemic PoliticsLast week, Orange County saw over 100 new coronavirus cases, pushing the total number to nearly 750 cases. On Friday, North Carolina recorded over 2,000 new cases in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began. In light of this, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck spoke with Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood to […]
Immigration Bill Focusing on Sheriffs gets Legislative OKNorth Carolina Republicans have given final legislative approval to a bill requiring all sheriffs to comply with requests by federal immigration agents to jail inmates they believe are in the country unlawfully. The House voted 62-53 on Tuesday to accept Senate changes to the measure, which responds to a handful of dissenting sheriffs refusing to […]
Gov. Stein Requests $13.5B More From Congress for Hurricane Helene RecoveryNorth Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Monday requested $13.5 billion more from Congress in recovery aid for Hurricane Helene almost a year after the historic storm.
On the Porch: Mayor Kyle Shipp and Tami Schwerin - Sculpture Celebration at The PlantThis Week:
Tami Schwerin is a re-developer of The Plant, taking a cold-war industrial plant and creating a community hub of food, beverage and experiences. Her past experience includes founding a local food, renewable energy and cultural non-profit; Abundance NC. Before that she helped build Chatham Marketplace, a local co-op grocery store. She has served on art and environmental boards of directors. She traveled the world selling software in her younger years and renovated several old broken-down houses. Tami loves a challenge and creating a world that she wants to live in. She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and loves the south and Pittsboro.
Kyle Shipp serves as the Mayor of Pittsboro, North Carolina, where he focuses on responsible growth, infrastructure, and transparent governance. He previously served as a Town Commissioner and Planning Board member. In his full-time role, Kyle works as an engineer in the data center industry, specializing in industrial control systems. He also serves as Board Chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina, supporting youth development across the region. With a background in engineering and a passion for community service, Kyle works to ensure Pittsboro grows in a way that reflects its values and long-term vision.
FEMA Approves Disaster Assistance for Chantal's Flood-Damaged Areas, Including Orange CountyTwo months after flash floodwaters ripped through central North Carolina, funding from FEMA is headed to the affected areas.
North Carolina Voter ID and Tax Cap Amendments Are Enforceable, Judges RuleTwo North Carolina constitutional amendments approved in 2018 — including a voter ID mandate — are enforceable, a trial court panel ruled.
›
