The Pinehurst Village Council on Feb. 10 recognized two police lieutenants for lifesaving actions, honored multiple departments for their winter storm response, and received its biannual police and fire reports that revealed low violent crime and rising fraud losses.
Lieutenants honored for off-duty rescue
The council presented Distinguished Service Awards to Lt. Bill Jackson and Lt. Eric Nall, who stopped to assist at a crash in Carthage on Nov. 10 while off duty. The two encountered a vehicle accident with a person trapped inside and helped remove the individual before additional emergency personnel arrived.
The council praised the officers for stepping in despite not being on duty and stated that such actions reflect the department’s training and their value placed on public service.
Village employees recognized for winter storm response
The council also recognized and commended employees from Public Services, Buildings and Grounds, the Fire Department, and the Police Department for their work during the recent winter storms.
Village Manager Doug Willardson said employees gave up weekends, worked extended hours, and, in some cases, slept on cots to keep roads clear and maintain public safety. The council said residents even expressed appreciation online and in person for the coordinated response.
“We look on Facebook or comments online, and it was very clear that they appreciate what you did and appreciate all that you do every day for the village,” commended Willardson.
Police report: Low violent crime, surge in fraud
Police Chief Glen Webb presented the department’s 2025 calendar-year report, which showed only two reported violent crimes for the year: one arson and one robbery.
Property crime, according to Chief Webb, continued to trend downward. Motor vehicle theft dropped to zero reported incidents. Theft from motor vehicles fell 65%, and breaking and entering decreased 60% compared to prior averages.
Officers responded to more than 27,000 calls for service, with 61% initiated by officers (such as traffic stops) and 39% by citizens. However, 73% of total time spent on calls involved citizen-initiated incidents, which indicates longer investigative and service demands.
Officers issued more than 2,500 citations and made 191 arrests tied to 331 charges.
The department reported a 96% positive rating in its community satisfaction survey, with about half of the recipients responding.
However, fraud remains the department’s largest concern. Webb reported more than $4 million in fraud losses in 2025, with one case accounting for roughly half that total. Fraud reports rose 23% over the year, with cases accelerating during the second half and into the holiday season.
“Those of you who have been there for a while, you’ve seen it just exponentially grow since 2020, but we did a fraud town hall to help educate our citizens in how to deal with online fraud,” explained Chief Webb. “A lot of it is people clicking on things or getting scams in different ways, but some of its data breaches and you can’t really prevent that. But, and if you look at our stats, we’re doing really good at preventing the things that we can physically prevent, but it’s really tough to prevent things like online scams, so that’s why we’re engaging in these educational things like this fraud town hall.”
The chief also outlined a focus on officer wellness and training, including expanded mental health and performance coaching resources. He said officers face repeated exposure to traumatic events and are expected to perform at a high level daily, underscoring the need for proactive support.
Fire Department report
The council also received its biannual report from the Pinehurst Fire Department, which outlined continued training efforts, emergency response readiness, and interdepartmental coordination.
The Pinehurst Fire Department reportedly handled 13,107 calls for service between July 1 and Dec. 31, with 20.03% occurring as overlapping incidents. Crews were recalled 12 times to bring in off‑duty staff during major incidents.
EMS and rescue calls made up the largest share at 37%, followed by good‑intent calls (19%), service calls (15%), alarms and false calls (18%), hazardous conditions (4%), fire calls (3%), and severe weather incidents (2%).
Fire prevention activity included 84 state‑mandated inspections and 290 plan reviews and consultations, along with 252 home safety visits where crews installed 52 alarms and replaced 213 batteries. Staff logged 5,907 training hours, and the department surpassed 500 days without a lost‑time injury. Of the total calls, 245 were automatic aid, 774 were Pinehurst fire responses, and 288 were service calls.
To watch the meeting online, please click here.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Written by Sandhills Sentinel assistant editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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