SMITHFIELD – Police Chief Pete Hedrick received approval by the Smithfield Town Council to purchase a new pickup truck for non-sworn Community Safety Aid (CSA) employees.
As we first reported on October 30, the Smithfield Police Department is the first law enforcement agency in Johnston County that has hired civilian staff to investigate non-injury traffic accidents.
CSA employees will also assist sworn officers with non-emergency calls, help at crime scenes, and work in the Evidence Room.
The Town Council approved a $28,634 bid for a 2023 Ford Maverick crew cab.
Chief Hedrick said the police department, on average, investigates about 70 traffic accidents each month, with only 16 of those resulting in injuries. Two CSA officers will be hired and work hours with the highest call volume.
The civilian staff does not need a new truck for this kind of duty. They could use older patrol cars for this kind of duty as pointed out in the past. This is a waste of taxpayers’ dollars!