Valdese Police Chief says inadequate pay, too few officers, and no facility are department's biggest issues

Valdese Chief of Police Marc Sharpe had the council’s full attention on Monday as he used his state of the department presentation to emphasize the police department’s biggest challenges: too few officers, too little pay, and the lack of a proper facility.

At every meeting, the Valdese Town Council hears a presentation from a department head, typically covering recent accomplishments, statistics, and goals moving forward. Most are no longer than 15 minutes.

Sharpe’s lasted at least an hour.

Sharpe was respectful but firm in his address, giving every listener real examples of the struggles caused by having so few officers, low pay, and no location designed to fit the needs of a police department. His examples included losing officers to other agencies, having no interview room, and storing evidence in facilities that barely meet the standard.

The beginning of Sharpe’s presentation highlighted positive changes in the department over the two years he has been chief.

During Sharpe’s time at the police department, he has ensured that all officers are CPR- and first aid-certified, created opportunities for officers to train in new skills such as public relations, and modernized officers’ equipment — including their rifles. Prior to upgrading, Valdese Police Officers used Vietnam-era rifles.

Sharpe said many of the department’s upgrades were funded by generous public donations.

Sharpe then shifted the tone of his presentation to discuss challenges.

INADEQUATE PAY

In the last eight months, two officers quit the Valdese Police Department to join better-paying agencies.

The most recent to leave, Jason Xaysana, joined a smaller police department that pays him $11,000 more per year, Sharpe said.

“We can’t compete with departments half our size,” Sharpe said. “And I’ll never forget this … I’m sitting there talking to him, trying to get him to stay and convince him that we have a good place, he said, ‘Chief, I can’t eat on what-ifs.’”

Fortunately, reserve officer Jonathan Kulp is ready to join the department as a full-time officer, Sharpe said, but he must finish his last few weeks of training before he can replace Xaysana. Sharpe added that scheduling is a nightmare for the department, which already struggles when even one person calls out sick.

Sharpe said the Valdese Police Department spent four years training Xaysana.

“What’s more embarrassing is I’ve got to look at a chief … who smiles and says, ‘I took one of your good ones,’ and I had nothing that I could do to keep him,” Sharpe said. “So, you have to start all over from the beginning and (get someone trained), and as soon as he gets to where he’s comfortable, he starts looking at his paycheck and says, ‘I can make more money elsewhere.’”

Mayor Pro Tem Rexanna Lowman asked how much money it takes to train an officer. Sharpe said, the expense of training one new officer can rise to about $100,000.

NO DEDICATED BUILDING

“I want you to pretend with me for just a moment, and if you will, close your eyes and listen to my voice,” Sharpe said.

Every council member closed their eyes. Many in the audience did as well.

Sharpe asked listeners to imagine they were parents whose child had just been sexually assaulted.

In the scenario, you take your child to what Sharpe described as a makeshift police department. The building has no dedicated interview room and an evidence room that barely meets state standards. There is no private space where you and your child can speak with officers.

Someone has to call in the chief or assistant chief who has already worked for 10 to 12 hours, for guidance and to file a report, because the two officers on duty are tied up responding to a car crash and a DWI arrest.

Eyes still closed, many listeners’ brows furrowed.

The chief directs you and your child to the hospital, Sharpe said, and contacts a nurse to meet with you while he is en route. He is on the phone, attempting to find a suspect and use neighboring agencies for help. When the suspect is located, the interview must be conducted in a borrowed room at a local church. Now the police department must find recording devices that meet state standards to conduct the interview, because no properly equipped interview room exists.

“Welcome to Valdese,” Sharpe said. “And this is only one case example. Is that the response you want for you and your child?”

NOT ENOUGH OFFICERS

Festivals, concerts, parades, and other public events stretch the police force thin, Sharpe said.

At Valdese’s 2024 Independence Day celebration, Sharpe said every officer was on duty patrolling downtown and some backroads in teams of two.

Eventually, Sharpe sent out a call for each team to get to their traffic stations to help funnel out the crowd.

“No sooner than I gave the command, we had a gentleman with a gun at a business, we had two car accidents occur, we had a four-person fight in front of another business downtown, and officers had to quickly run back to those areas,” Sharpe said. “No one made it to the traffic stations.”

There are currently four sergeants and six officers, counting new-hire Kulp. There are four reserve officers.

EVERY ISSUE IS IMPORTANT

No one issue outweighs the other, Sharpe said. They are all interconnected.

“Help us address the needs,” Sharpe said. “We have to pay more. … We must have officers to put in the facilities. We need facilities; we are outdated and not keeping up with technology and evidence requirements to meet today’s needs and mandates.”

Sharpe said that since his arrival two years ago, he has noticed Valdese “(plays) the blame game,” pointing fingers at who didn’t do this or that, whose responsibility it was, or whose fault it is. He said the town must work together to find solutions.

The agency must take care of residents “while maintaining a healthy, well-trained police department, and we just can’t do it with what we have,” Sharpe said.

The council was silent for a moment, processing everything Sharpe had said.

“Chief, I’ve had the opportunity since being elected to work with you side by side in this building,” Mayor Keith Huffman said. “You are a man of integrity. You are the epitome of service before self, and Valdese is great to have you. And that said, we’re going to work on this. The council here has heard you. … We’re going to do our very best, and that’s all we can offer. But we’re going to do something. This is no longer a ‘do nothing.’”

Councilwoman Heather Ward said the presentation hit close to home since she came from a law enforcement family.

“There are some hard decisions we’re going to have to make as a town in the next couple of months,” Ward said. “And I want to encourage (everyone), please share this … because people, they need to understand why we’re having to make some of the decisions we’re having to make right now.”