Snow Hill Commissioners vote to disband police department

SNOW HILL — The Town of Snow Hill has officially voted to disband its municipal police department, choosing instead to contract with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services. In a special meeting held Monday at 5 p.m., the Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 against a motion to keep the local department intact. Commissioners Daniels, Washington, and Shackleford voted in favor of dissolving the police department, while Commissioners Andrews and Wilkes opposed the measure.

The move comes amid ongoing budget discussions and follows public scrutiny over how town officials handled talks with the county about dissolving the department.

The sheriff’s office will now provide full-time coverage in Snow Hill at an annual cost of $270,000, less than half the police department’s current $501,830 budget. Greene County Sheriff Matt Sasser previously confirmed that his office had been approached by the town about absorbing policing responsibilities and said his department would offer jobs to the town’s current officers.

Town Manager April Vinson said the Snow Hill Police Department was seeking an 11.7% raise that would have increased the department’s budget to $600,010. She instead proposed a 7% increase, raising the total to $587,623.

The department's possible dissolution came to light earlier this month after internal confusion surfaced at RAM Fest, a local community event. Police Chief Josh Smith said he first learned about the town’s conversations with the sheriff’s office when two of his officers confronted him during the event.

“I was stunned, to say the least,” Smith told Neuse News. “I do not know the process of dissolving a police department, and I was not involved in those conversations.”.

With the decision finalized, law enforcement in Snow Hill will now fall under the jurisdiction of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Sasser previously stated that his department would maintain a continuous presence in the town and absorb existing Snow Hill officers if the transition moved forward.