Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/862014
AUGUST 16 - 22, 2017 UCW 13 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Gina Hawk ins did not have t he ambition of being a police chief. "I've been a worker bee as a police off icer for nearly 29 years," she said. She applied for t he chief's job in Fayettev ille after being tipped off t hat t he post was available by Durham Chief C.J. Dav is, who's only been on t he job a few mont hs. Hawk ins and Dav is k now each ot her well. They ser ved toget her for 18 years in t he At lanta Police Department. Hawk ins, 49, most recent ly was Deput y Chief of t he Clay ton Count y, Georgia, P.D. During an inter v iew, as she un- packed her uniform in her second- f loor corner off ice at police head- quarters, Hawk ins said she expects she'll be in uniform 95 percent of t he time. It w ill sport four stars. Hawk ins admires t he work for- mer Chief Harold Medlock did to modernize t he department and is excited to make her ow n contribu- tion. "We have our ow n culture and histor y, and my job is to make t he department even better," she said. Hawk ins said she w ill depend on her command staff to acquaint her w it h t he Fayettev ille communit y. She and Assistant Chief A nt hony Kelly became acquainted in 2013 when bot h attended t he FBI Acad- emy in Quantico, Virginia. She's spoken at leng t h w it h Kelly, who ser ved as interim chief for eight mont hs follow ing Medlock's retire- ment last year. Hawk ins is well-aware, she said, of t he Fayettev ille Police Depart- ment's stellar reputation. She regards recruiting and retaining A frican-A merican off icers as a signif icant challenge. "I've got a few ideas," she said. One of t hose ideas is for t he department's recruiters to develop relationships w it h local high schools. She wants to encour- age seniors to consider a law en- forcement career while t hey're still in school. Hawk ins also wants t he depart- ment to do a better job of going after young soldiers who leave t he ser v ice at Fort Bragg. "Ever y one of us should be recruiting day to day," said t he chief. "We can train t he young people, but we need to be more aware of how we can ask t hem, 'W hat are you doing?' Join us and be a cop." As for t he local crime rate, Hawk ins shared t he concern t hat murders and aggravated assaults have been on t he rise nationw ide. "We don't k now why," she added. As for prevention, t he chief plans to adopt Medlock's practice of dis- secting assault case f iles to gain a better understanding of why t hey happen. She said t he hope is to head off homicides t hat could grow out of aggravated assaults by talk ing w it h t he families of v ictims and perpetrators. Her oldest daughter, Italia, is 26 and just completed a four-year enlistment in t he Nav y and hopes to return to college. Si xteen-year-old Trinit y is still in high school and decided to stay in Georgia for now. Chief Hawkins Takes Command by JEFF THOMPSON "We have our own culture and history, and my job is to make the department even bet- ter," Hawkins said. NEWS FREE to Residents, Businesses and Organizations throughout our Community. For More Information Call 910-484-6200 Pick Yours Up Today! Welcome to Radio & TV Stations 18 Month Calendar Local Festivals County Libraries Area Health Facilities Schools Public & Private Parks & Recreation Universities & Colleges Frequently Called Numbers City Welcome Mayor Nat Robertson Darsweil Rogers John Meroski President of Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Live Theatres Museums & Galleries Local Annual Events Town of Hope Mills & Hope Mills Chamber Cumberland County Schools Dr. Frank Till Cumberland County Commissioner Glenn B. Adams