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JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – Jacksonville police are speaking out after an August bill was passed preventing them from making arrests on their own property and other areas within city limits.
House Bill 116 stripped the Jacksonville Police Department of its power to make arrests in pockets of the city, including its own headquarters and several downtown streets.
Jacksonville Interim Police Chief Ashley Weaver said Wednesday that while officers cannot make physical arrests in those areas, they still have police powers within them.
“No other jurisdictional powers were taken away. The officers are still able to conduct investigations, traffic stops, issue citations, make investigative detentions, and do everything about our jobs, except the physical arrest,” Weaver said.
Agreement in place with sheriff’s office
As of right now, there is a deal between the Jacksonville Police Department and the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office that if an arrest needs to be made within the affected parameters in the city, an Onslow County deputy needs to be present.
Weaver said she was surprised the legislation was passed with this issue in it.
“A little bit dumbfounded that one, it could slip through legislation without anybody being aware of it. That it wouldn’t be discussed with the local jurisdictions before it was put in place so that we could work through some of these things before anything happened,” Weaver said.
The restrictions will remain in place until at least November, when legislators will meet again.
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