William Mitchell, judicial district manager, told the school board tonight Halifax County has met all the conditions required by probation and parole. “This office is set up by the county. The minute they tell us they’re ready, we will move.”
The move will not be made without the proper modifications, Mitchell assured the school board. Those modifications include cameras, fencing, outside lights and motion sensor lights. “All of those are the county’s responsibility,” he said. “Those are promises made to you and paid for by the county.”
Probation and parole was supposed to be in the building July 1. “I don’t see that taking place ... It will most likely be by mid July with everything set up.”
Cotton asked Mitchell why the school system wasn’t notified at the beginning of the discussions.
While Mitchell apologized, he said he believed the matter should have been discussed with the school system by the county.
Cotton said she has suffered personal attacks on the issue while simply trying to uphold the school system’s mission statement. “If we had some dialogue, the question wouldn’t have come up in May. No one has seen fit to include us in the planning. We need to be reassured the board will maintain a safe environment for our children.”
Responded Mitchell: “I understand your position. Hats off to you for being concerned.”
Mitchell told the school board probation and parole wants to be good neighbors. “I promise you will not have a problem with us being neighbors out there. I hope, in the future, there will be better dialogue.”
In February the county agreed to renovate the former food stamp building after the state informed officials it would no longer pay the lease for the current building, which is located in the Forest Hills Shopping Center in Roanoke Rapids.
With an annual lease payment of $26,640 and annual operating costs of $15,000, commissioners decided they could make improvements to the food stamp building for $87,000.
The food stamp building has 5,500 square feet while the current building has 3,000 square feet.
The county will add fencing to the building and additional security measures may be added as allowed by the budget.
Sex offenders and offenders who have committed crimes against children will be seen at the Day Reporting Center and not at the location near the school.
There is to be no profanity and there is to be no character assassination even if the person being written about is a suspect in a crime.
Comments that presume knowledge of a person’s home life, financial situation or other personal details will be not be posted as will comments which presume legal knowledge.
All comments must be on the topic of the story and offer the reader’s insight on a particular issue. rrspin.com will cease posting comments if the editor determines readers are infighting with one another and not staying on the topic of a story.
rrspin.com prefers readers use their real names because anonymous posters are accountable for their comments just as readers who post their names are.