R-C News-Herald Editorial

Our roadways are getting safer.

The day he arrived as the new First Sergeant of Troop A, District II, Kenny Pitts made a commitment to reducing the number of collisions in Bertie, Gates and Hertford counties.

By reducing the number of collisions, the First Sergeant knew the North Carolina Highway Patrol would be saving lives, reducing injuries and slowing down property damage.

It was refreshing to have a First Sergeant in the local unit with a plan that wasn’t about finding a bigger place to be in charge within a few weeks. Nearly a year into his tenure as the top Highway Patrol officer in the district, First Sergeant Pitts still isn’t concerned about his next job. He’s concerned about the people of Bertie, Gates and Hertford counties.

We commend his effort to be First Sergeant of this district and not to become part of the revolving door that has been that office in recent years.

For the First Sergeant to be successful, he has to have people believe in what he’s doing. That starts with Sgt. J.T. Lane and Sgt. R.G. Willis. Their leadership has been in Sgt. Lane’s case and will be in Sgt. Willis’s case, key to continuing to reduce the number of collisions and the number of lives lost.

The troopers who man the roadways are also important. They are earning to be the type of troopers we need in this district. They will learn and grow as they get more accustomed to the area.

Nobody likes to get a ticket, but we all know the roadways in the Roanoke-Chowan region haven’t been safe over the past few years. Death tolls have been high. We need to reverse that trend.

Thankfully, we have a North Carolina Highway Patrol First Sergeant and his staff who are dedicated to doing just that.

Support them and be courteous to them. They are doing their best to be helpful.