WADESBORO — A recent Facebook post made this week by the Wadesboro Police Department announcing they are now hiring has left long- time residents scratching their heads.
Residents are not confused by the offered $45,000 a year pay and $5,000 sign on bonus, after all, Wadesboro’s town council informed citizens the town’s budget is tight at an earlier meeting held this month at the courthouse.
No, many in the county were left questioning why the advertisement requested interested applicants call town hall rather than the Wadesboro Police Department as has been the custom in the past. Citizens have come to expect the Chief of the Wadesboro Police Department, in this case Chief Brandon Chewning, to interview and hire their own staff. Going back to April 16, 2014, the Anson Record has independently confirmed previous Wadesboro Police Department job postings instructed potential applicants to contact Wadesboro Police Department staff to apply.
Chief Brandon Chewning was sworn in as the department’s new chief December 22, 2023. Not long after his swearing in, the town’s new manager Wiley Ross Jr. himself took office. Since then, it has been alleged that Ross is denying raises and promotions to officers based off a personal vendetta he has with Chief Chewning. Many claimed the former police officer now town manager said “Let them walk” in response to officers recently leaving the department for employment in other counties. Ross maintains the town’s budget deficit is necessitating the difficult decisions made in regards to officer pay, not personal beef with the chief.
Still, the recent publicized offer of $45,000 is approximately $4,000 up from previously offered salary amounts. This has caused many in Wadesboro to question where the money is coming from now and why it was not offered in an attempt to retain already trained and proven Wadesboro Police Department staff before they chose to leave?
An often heard refrain uttered by residents at this month’s town council meeting is the charge that Ross is engaging in micromanaging practices. Public speakers cited Ross’ usage of a police issued patrol car to drive around town and an alleged dispute over patrol car washing and water bucket placement as evidence of the town manager’s claimed micromanaging abuses. In light of the recent Wadesboro Police Department job posting, residents have questioned via comments made on the police department’s Facebook post if Ross will also be training the new hires after he potentially interviews them.
No official statement has been made by the Wadesboro Police Department, the town manager, nor Wadesboro town council members regarding the change, what it means for the caliber of law enforcement officers the citizens of Wadesboro will be getting or who will be interviewing hiring and training new hires to the police department. Calls to Chief Chewning and Wiley Ross Jr. have gone unreturned at press time.
