White: Sheriff's call volume rose dramatically over decade

The call volume for the Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office has exploded over the past decade, as the number of callers seeking law enforcement’s help over a three-month period is now roughly equal to the number once received in an entire year.

That’s according to Sheriff Shelby White, who discussed the dramatic rise in calls during a recent interview.

White, who was recognized by commissioners Monday for his 25 years of law enforcement service with the county, said the increase in calls — for everything from responding to crime and accidents to assisting parents with unruly children and moving livestock out of the roadway — has been dramatic.

“Every year it goes up,” he said of calls for law enforcement’s help. “In my entire fourth quarter there were 4,434 calls to us between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024. The amount of calls from 2014 — the entire year — was 4,714.”

White shared data showing the Sheriff’s Office’s call volume increasing every year between 2015 and 2022. In 2015, his office received 5,396 calls. The next year, it was 6,721 calls. In 2017, the office received 7,578 calls. In 2018, 8,410 calls.

The biggest increase was from 2021 to 2022, when calls increased from 11,529 to 13,375. The larger bump could have been influenced by the fact the Sheriff’s Office began responding to calls in the town of Hertford as well the rest of the county, after Hertford Town Council voted to disband the town’s police force and pay to rely on White’s office instead.

Even so, 13,375 calls in a year is a lot of calls for a county with fewer than 14,000 residents, White noted.

The nature of the calls has also changed over time, he said.

“There used to be a lot more respect that people would show to each other and to law enforcement,” White said. “With the domestic issues, some parents have had to call because their children are out of order. (There is) just lack of respect for the parents.”

A lot of the violent incidents the Sheriff’s Office responds to now involve young people.

“Our last arrest was because shots were fired; the person fled, a deputy followed him and they even shot at the deputy,” White said. “We caught all three (suspects) and two were 18 and the other about 20. ... We had another (incident that involved a) shooting at a party, and (those involved) were all around 20.”

White said his office strives to take a proactive approach to law enforcement, and a lot of that has to do with having enough staff to respond to incidents.

“If we fall short on staffing we are reactive, but if we stay up on our staffing we are proactive,” he said.

The Sheriff’s Office currently employs 34 personnel, 25 of whom are sworn officers. The other personnel respond to animal control matters, serve as bailiffs in the courtroom and as administrative personnel.

That’s a big change from the staff of eight who worked for the Sheriff’s Office when White first began working as a deputy in 2000.

White suspects many Perquimans residents who have never needed assistance from law enforcement probably don’t realize just how busy the Sheriff’s Office is each month.

Most calls the Sheriff’s Office receives don’t involve crimes. While the Sheriff’s Office responds to speeding and reckless drivers, it also responds to calls from motorists whose vehicles break down or get locked out of their vehicles.

The Sheriff’s Office also responds to noise complaints and calls from the public about people who are exhibiting psychotic or unusual behaviors. It also fields general questions from the public about what is, and isn’t, lawful behavior.

The Sheriff’s Office also provides funeral escorts and assistance when persons are evicted from their home by a landlord. Deputies also perform “wellness checks” on senior citizens living in remote areas when neighbors report that they have not been seen in days.

Deputies also respond to non-criminal emergencies like strokes or heart attacks, White said. Sometimes, deputies arrive before Emergency Medical Services personnel and have to start CPR until paramedics arrive.

And, occasionally, deputies lend a hand when livestock wander onto county roads.

“Over the years, we seen cows, chickens, horses wander out to the road and we had to respond for public safety (reasons),” White said. “We try to get in touch with the owners to inform them of what’s happening. We are needed in those cases to provide blue lights to prevent animals from being hit by motorists while the animals are wandering.

“There’s even been an occasion when we just guided one back inside the fence or gate if they were still near the property where we know they live,” White said.

White said his goal as sheriff is to keep the office and its personnel as visible as possible in the community. That’s why the Sheriff’s Office participates in numerous public events throughout the year.

Sheriff’s personnel recently assisted, for example, with setting up and removing hundreds of Christmas lights for the annual Grand Illumination in Hertford’s downtown. They also provide security at ball games and other sporting events, assist with the annual Easter egg hunt on courthouse lawn, and help coordinate a bike drive for children at Christmas.

“In the past we took kids from Hertford Grammar and the middle school to Camp Cale for a day visit. A school bus has helped us and transported the kids and we participated with activities at the camp site for that one day,” White said.

“We do a Toy for Tots drive that benefits the kids in the community,” he continued. “On National Night Out, we helped with the haunted trail that drew mostly kids and teenagers.”

The Sheriff’s Office also helps the Open Door Food Pantry of Perquimans County with its annual Jail-a-thon fundraiser and assists the Area Agency on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program, having a deputy step in when a driver isn’t available for a particular route.

White, who plans to seek another four-year term as sheriff next year, said he himself became interested in law enforcement as a high school student. While the types of training for young law enforcement officers is ever expanding, there are a set of core skills they each need to have to perform their jobs well, he says.

“You have got to be able to communicate well, be able to talk to the public, and be a good listener,” White said. “You gotta be in it to make a difference, difference in the community or (the life of) another person. You are there to help somebody.”

Editor's note: Because of an editing error, the original version of this story stated that Perquimans Sheriff Shelby White discussed the dramatic increase in service calls his office receives during the Monday, Jan. 7, Perquimans Board of Commissioners meeting. White in fact discussed the increase during an interview.