SUNSET BEACH, N.C. (WECT) – Police department changes, including a quota for traffic stops, requested by Sunset Beach Town Administrator Lisa Anglin recently were rescinded by the Town’s attorney, sources have told WECT.

According to a list obtained by WECT, the following changes were among those requested by Anglin:

• Each officer is required to travel 100 miles in a 12-hour shift.
• Each officer is required to make three vehicle stops and perform three business checks per shift, day and night.
• When the Sunset Beach Fire Department responds to any incident an officer(s) is required to respond and assist regardless if in town limits or not.

The full list of changes obtained by WECT can be found at the bottom of this story.

WECT reached out to Anglin for comment and received a reply from attorney Susan Renton stating, “the Town has no comment.”

The requested changes also caught the attention of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association.

John Midgette, Executive Director/Director of Governmental Affairs for the association, wrote a letter to Sunset Beach Mayor Shannon “Hot Dog” Phillips listing several concerns if the requirements were to be put into place.

The association sent a copy of the letter to WECT.

“We understand that these so-called requirements were recently rescinded, for which we appreciate. However, our concern remains high that this may happen again,” Midgette wrote. “There are many legal and safety ramifications should these requirements have been implemented. Some of these ‘requirements may be perceived as ‘targeting’ or ‘profiling,’ while others are in direct contradiction to state and federal law. Consequently, the police chief or mayor and council would be obliged to request a State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) or otherwise legitimate investigation available to them under existing law. If found to be so, your police officers who obeyed these directives could face serious consequences including de-certification pursuant to NCGS 14-230 and otherwise. It would also open the department, and the town, to possible litigation.

“Other great concerns are officer safety, public safety, and overall effectiveness of the police department. An officer on the scene of a legitimate call for service might feel compelled to rush to make sure they have enough miles driven or vehicle stops made pursuant to the directives. Requiring an arbitrary standard of miles driven could arguably be considered an inefficient use of town resources. However, a required quota of vehicle stops without regard to the lawful standards of reasonable suspicion and/or probable cause not only is an outrageous harassment of your citizens, but a blatant violation of their constitutional rights.”

The Sunset Beach Town Council is scheduled to hold a closed-session meeting before the start of tonight’s 7 p.m. regular meeting.

The full letter from Midgette can be found below:

Dear Mayor Phillips:

This writing comes to you from the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, North Carolina Division. We represent nearly 17,000 law enforcement professionals in this state and nearly 70,000 total throughout our association. We work to promote and improve the law enforcement profession by providing our members with legal, legislative and other services so our citizens may enjoy the most effective law enforcement services possible.

It has come to our attention that a non-law enforcement authority has given the police department a list of directives to be implemented. We understand that these so-called requirements were recently rescinded, for which we appreciate. However, our concern remains high that this may happen again. There are many legal and safety ramifications should these requirements have been implemented. Some of these “requirements” may be perceived as “targeting” or “profiling,” while others are in direct contradiction to state and federal law. Consequently, the police chief or mayor and council would be obliged to request a State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) or otherwise legitimate investigation available to them under existing law. If found to be so, your police officers who obeyed these directives could face serious consequences including de-certification pursuant to NCGS 14-230 and otherwise. It would also open the department, and the town, to possible litigation.

Other great concerns are officer safety, public safety, and overall effectiveness of the police department. An officer on the scene of a legitimate call for service might feel compelled to rush to make sure they have enough miles driven or vehicle stops made pursuant to the directives. Requiring an arbitrary standard of miles driven could arguably be considered an inefficient use of town resources. However, a required quota of vehicle stops without regard to the lawful standards of reasonable suspicion and/or probable cause not only is an outrageous harassment of your citizens, but a blatant violation of their constitutional rights.

These may seem like unrealistic possibilities. We can assure you they are not. Unfortunately, through poor leadership, officers are often put in such positions. We remain hopeful that this is not something that the Town of Sunset Beach wishes upon its police officers and citizens. To our knowledge, cotrncil invited and/or requested many city employees to speak and voice their overall concerns of the town. From what we understand, these concerns were validated by most, if not all, of those who spoke. We look forward to a positive outcome for this situation and trust legal representation will not be needed for our members and that town leaders will utilize the broad authority available to them under state law to rectify this matter.

Thank you,

John Midgette

Executive Director/Director of Governmental Affairs

North Carolina Police Benevolent Association

Copyright 2024 WECT. All rights reserved.