So often we see on the news protests and riots against police officers who are accused of shooting or killing an individual out of racism, not protecting their life. What people may often overlook is the huge risk that comes with being a law enforcement officer, and as if their job isn’t dangerous enough, now anytime a cop uses his/her gun they have to immediately think about being indicted, losing their job, family, and more.

This controversial hypothesis that crime is on the rise is ongoing and whether you agree or disagree – in all areas – has some sort of effect in your community. Here in New Hanover and surrounding counties (like Brunswick and Pender) we have seen a spike in crime in recent years, however, court dockets are decreasing by about half. One possible explanation could be that law enforcement officers are backing off on writing traffic and criminal tickets because of the extreme scrutiny they face as a whole. Every action has a consequence. It would be ideal to bring the community and local police departments together to work on ways that can reduce crime in our area. Cops aren’t always the “bad guys.”