Snow Hill Police Chief blindsided by town’s talks to dissolve police department
SNOW HILL — The Town of Snow Hill is facing growing scrutiny after it was revealed that town officials have been in talks with Greene County leaders to potentially dissolve the Snow Hill Police Department — a development that caught the department’s own chief by surprise and has prompted public outcry.
According to Greene County Manager Kyle DeHaven, Snow Hill officials reached out to the county within the past month to inquire about the cost of law enforcement coverage if the town discontinued its municipal police force. “We gave them that cost,” DeHaven said. “We are waiting patiently for their response.”
Greene County Sheriff Matt Sasser confirmed the discussions and said his office was approached “a while back” regarding the possibility of absorbing the town’s policing responsibilities. “They hadn’t made a final decision, but we talked about what we could provide,” Sasser said. “If it moves forward, we’d absorb their officers and keep a deputy in town on a 24-hour basis. They wouldn’t be lacking coverage.”
But the talks appear to have occurred without the knowledge of the Snow Hill Police Department itself.
Police Chief Josh Smith said he first learned of the potential dissolution on Saturday during RAM Fest, a local community event, when two of his officers confronted him with concerns about the future of their jobs.
“I was stunned, to say the least,” Smith said to Neuse News. “I do not know the process of dissolving a police department, and I was not involved in those conversations.”
Smith, who leads a five-officer department, said he does not support the decision, but couldn’t speak to to any negative impacts to the town. “Without knowing the specifics of their plan, I can’t say exactly how.”
The situation came to light through a widely shared Facebook post by Melissa Creech Paderick. Paderick alleged that two officers learned of the department’s possible dissolution from a sheriff’s deputy, who had reportedly heard it from a Greene County commissioner. The officers, she said, immediately informed Chief Smith during the event.
Paderick also criticized the town’s handling of the matter, calling it a “betrayal” and a violation of public trust. “For an employee to find out at a festival — through the rumor mill — that they are losing their job is unimaginable,” she wrote.
An update to her original post on Sunday suggested the Town Board had shifted course. “The Town Board is ‘now’ not going to make a final decision on Monday night but will engage in further talks and take public comment,” she wrote.
Despite the public attention, town officials have remained largely silent. Multiple attempts to reach Town Manager April Vinson for comment were unsuccessful.
Chief Smith said he remains in the dark about the town’s intentions. “I heard there were discussions with the sheriff, but I don’t know what the plan is exactly.”
The Town Board is expected to meet Monday evening at 6:00 pm with a closed session at 4:30 pm but the current agenda does not reflect any actionable items related to the police department. Neuse News reviewed available agendas for the Town of Snow Hill for 2025 and found no evidence of this discussion. And, although there are multiple documents reflecting Minutes from previous years' meetings, there are no Minutes for 2025 available for public inspection online.
The future of the Snow Hill Police Department remains uncertain.
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