By: Erin Smith
The Housing Authority in Clarkton has offered an office space at Oakdale Homes to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office to be utilized as a substation, according to Bladen County Chief Deputy Larry Guyton. He said the offer came prior to last week’s shooting at the apartment complex and is a separate from a request from the Clarkton Town Board for two deputies to patrol the town.He said the office at Oakdale Homes will provide officers with a space where they can go and write a report, use the telephone, have access to internet, or if they need to interview someone rather than traveling to the Sheriff’s Office in Elizabethtown.
“It just so happened the Housing Authority made that offer a few days before the shooting that occurred there last Wednesday,” said Chief Deputy Guyton.
He said the Sheriff’s Office currently operates a substation at the rescue squad building in Tar Heel on NC 87. Chief Deputy Guyton said officers use the Tar Heel substation for meeting with witnesses, completing paperwork and meeting with victims. The Tar Heel substation has a desk, telephone and internet access where officers can use their laptops to log in and take reports. “The one in Clarkton will be basically the same,” said Chief Deputy Guyton.
He said the citizens, the businesses, the rescue squad, non-profits and the Housing Authority have all assisted the Sheriff’s Office in many ways. “Oakdale Homes will benefit us because officers will have a place where they can go sit down and do their reports. It benefits the Housing Authority because there is a law enforcement presence right there in the housing area. So officers are more visible. A lot of times that in and of itself is a deterrent to crime,” said Chief Deputy Guyton.
Chief Deputy Guyton said the substation is moving forward. He said Oakdale Homes was installing the telephone service to the office on Tuesday.
In a separate request made by the town of Clarkton for two deputies to patrol the town, Chief Deputy Guyton said the Sheriff’s Office has submitted a cost estimate to the town for providing two deputies to patrol the town limits. He said the Sheriff’s Office is waiting to receive the town’s final decision on the matter.
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