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JACKSON – The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide law enforcement services to the town of Seaboard, thanks to a contract renewal which was approved by the Northampton County Board of Commissioners at their regular meeting on July 6.

Sheriff Jack Smith shared the renewal request with the commissioners, noting that there is an approximate $6,700 increase in the total cost for services this year.

“Most of that was the cost of gasoline, parts for the vehicle, and a little bit of raise for the deputy working there,” he explained.

That cost is paid by the town in return for the Sheriff’s Office providing 160 hours of law enforcement services every four weeks.

Smith reported that he’s enjoyed working with the town mayor and town board on the agreement, and they work well together to address any issues when they arise.

The partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and Seaboard began back in 2019 as a way to address the town’s lack of law enforcement officers. One of the main goals was to shorten response times to calls by providing a designated officer for the area. When the officer is off-duty, the Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide its usual emergency response when necessary.

Since the initial agreement, the contract has been renewed annually.

“I’m happy to hear that we’ve got continued services,” stated Commissioner Kelvin Edwards during the meeting.

Board Chair Charles Tyner said it was good to see these kinds of collaborations between the county and its municipalities.

Commissioner Joyce Buffaloe motioned to approve the contract renewal, and Edwards provided the second. The motion carried by a 3-0 unanimous vote. Commissioners Geneva Faulkner and Nicole Boone were unable to attend the meeting.