What made you decide to be a police officer?
Growing up, I was always involved in athletics and team sports. I was also interested in the military. I was in ROTC in high school. My interests were really baseball and the military. Growing up in rural N.C. in Wayne County, I had a fascination with police officers. I didn’t see them often, but when I did, I admired them.
I served three years in the military, and the team and camaraderie seemed like a natural fit for me. I originally was interested in being a State Trooper, and at that time in the early 90’s, it was tough to get work in law enforcement here. I went through their training process and wasn’t selected, so my wife and I thought that maybe local law enforcement would be better. I have to give my wife credit for bringing me to Holly Springs.
How long have you served in Holly Springs?
I started part-time in November of ’93, and March 1 of ’94 I went full-time. As an auxiliary officer, I had to work 12 hours a month for free, which once I was sworn in, I loved [the job] so much, so it was no problem for me. I used to think “I just drive around in a car and get paid for it? This is great!” Aside from being a major league baseball player, this was always my dream.
How long have you been Chief?
I’ve been Chief for 13 years. I’ve served various positions here and came up through the ranks. If there’s a hat to be worn in this organization, I’ve had it on.
How many residents did Holly Springs have when you joined the force?
There was somewhere around 1,000. I was the fourth police officer that they hired for what I call the “modern police department.” There were two patrol cars. The chief had one, and the rest of us shared the other one.
How many cars does the department have now?
I would guess we have about 75 or 80 cars in the fleet. Holly Springs is consistently named the safest town in North Carolina.
How do you feel the police force contributes to that honor?
It hasn’t always been safe. When I started here, the crime per capita was one of the highest in the state, so there’s been a change. We have a progressive mindset here. We want our officers to create partnerships in the community. Every set of eyes other than ours is helpful. We also have a strong program with the SROs (School Resource Officers). The officers having time to work with the community when not answering calls is a big help. To me, that’s the key to creating a safe environment. I believe people feel safe living here. It’s great seeing kids outside playing, and people jogging, because they feel the community is safe enough to do that. We’re fortunate that we have a low crime rate.
Do you get calls from other precincts asking how you keep crime so low? What advice do you give them?
I’ve had those conversations with other police chiefs, and we talk about our community partnerships. Southern Wake County has great partnerships, too. We share similar philosophies, and all work well together. When you look at the lists of the safest towns in the state, we’re all consistently ranked top 10, and I think a big part of that is working so well together.
What do you feel is the craziest thing in Holly Springs that you’ve seen serving in Holly Springs?
Wow, you see so many in this business. I think back to the days when I was working the road; it was really crazy in Holly Springs. I don’t think the people that live here now would even believe what used to go on here. There was a night club here, and there were thousands of people that used to come to see these big hip-hop artists. The owner would recruit some pretty big names. People would come from all over to these shows, even when the population was only a couple of thousand. Sometimes we would have a crowd show up that was greater than the population of Holly Springs. People would come from as far as Richmond, Virginia. The club was the building that’s right across from Thales Academy in West Holly Springs. It was just a 5,000-square-foot cinder block building. Those were some crazy times down there. Rick Leach used to work the security in the parking lot every weekend that they were open. It was like the wild, wild west over there. Even back then, I don’t think that the people that lived here really knew what was going on. The club didn’t even open until 11:30 pm.
There was also a time, before the bypass was built, that one rush hour, an elderly lady hit a crosstie that was being used on a truck to transport a house that was on the historic list, and the entire house got dumped in the middle of the road. Traffic was backed up for 5 miles in both directions. I was dispatched to it, and the wreck scene was probably 1,500 feet long. It was where Food Lion is now. When I pulled up and saw an entire house sitting in the middle of the road, I remember thinking “They didn’t teach me about this in my training.” I had no idea what to do. I called the Director of Public Works, and he brought a backhoe. We were a one-backhoe town back then. That’s how we measured our growth, by the number of backhoes we had (laughs). I remember doing the accident report and thinking “There’s not enough room on here for me to draw this diagram.”
What’s the worst excuse you’ve heard from someone after being pulled over?
There’s a few good ones. You hear crazy excuses for speeding. I had a guy one time that claimed a jar of pickles rolled off the seat and hit the accelerator pedal.
Is there anything that you wish the citizens of Holly Springs knew about how/when/why to contact the HSPD?
We’ve had calls from parents that want us to come make their kids to do their homework or make their kids brush their teeth. We’d rather not get those calls. We do want people to call us if they feel they need us. I’ve even gone in the middle of the night to change batteries in a smoke detector because it was beeping. She was elderly and just needed help. I don’t mind doing those things if we’re not busy. It’s always better to call than not call. I don’t want people to ever hesitate to call us. We’re not a high crime area, so we want people to call us if they feel uncomfortable or see something suspicious. If you see something, say something.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment since you’ve been Chief?
For me, it’s the relationships that we’ve built in the community. I’m also proud of this 28,000-square-foot facility we’re in. We moved from a 3,500-square-foot facility. It’s hard to operate an organization in a facility that you don’t have the room to do it in. We’re actually working on the accreditation for this building now.
What is your biggest regret?
I wish I would have started earlier. It took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to do. I really don’t have many regrets. Any ones I have were so small, they’re insignificant.
Once you’ve retired, and your name comes up at the station, how do you want to be remembered?
First and foremost, I want to be remembered for my integrity, and being fair. I’ve been told that I’m very fair, and I’m proud of that. I’m an analytical person, so I’m not the fastest decision maker. I want to be able to gather all of the facts. Once I do, I try to be as fair as possible.
What’s something about you that Holly Springs residents would be surprised to know?
I think a lot of them would be surprised to know that my wife and I own a dance wear business.
What’s next for Chief Herring?
I hope to have more time to volunteer. I’m not going away. This is my home. I live here; my kids were raised here. This is such a great area; I’m not leaving. I’m also looking forward to spending some time with my parents, catching up on my fishing, and a long honey-do list. I’m looking at some other opportunities as well.
Has your replacement been announced?
It’s been announced that I’m retiring in May, but it’s a long process to hire my replacement. There have been internal and public surveys; a lot of thought goes into building the profile of what the chief should be like. It’s an entire process. Once the job is posted, there are going to be internal and external candidates that will apply, and it will take some time. I believe there are going to be a lot of applicants, but I have no idea who will be replacing me.
Is there anything I didn’t ask you about that you wish I had?
I don’t think so. We talked about what I’m passionate about which is people and building relationships. As a police department, we can only do so much. We have 1.8 police officers for every 1,000 residents. It’s a tall order to police that may people with so few officers, but the community helps us to extend our eyes and ears.
