Carolina Beach Police Foundation awards two grants to Carolina Beach Police Department

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — The Carolina Beach Police Foundation has awarded two grants totaling over $11,000 to the Carolina Beach Police Department.

According to the Foundation, the grants will go to ensure its officers have the vital equipment, training and programs needed to serve and protect our community effectively.

The first grant request is to provide leadership development and training this fall to the leaders of the Patrol Division and the Detective Division. The focus of this training will be to improve the relationships between the Sergeants, who work and lead Officers on separate shifts. 

“Our Carolina Beach Police Sergeants are known as the heartbeat of the organization, and investing in their leadership training is paramount to our success,” said Captain Scott Hettinger.

The second request is to expand the non-lethal capabilities of both divisions, Patrol and Investigations, at the Carolina Beach Police Department. Through this grant, they will be able to acquire, train with, and utilize a less lethal 40 mm sponge round to safely gain compliance from a non-compliant individual who is causing danger to the officers and the community.

“Law Enforcement Officers, now more than ever before, are often faced with unique and dangerous situations requiring them to make split-second decisions to prevent non-compliant subjects from causing injury to themselves, the officers involved, or the public. By having additional non-lethal options at their disposal, responding officers can quickly and efficiently de-escalate critical incidents and thereby eliminate or greatly mitigate injuries to the involved parties,” said Chief of Police, Vic Ward.

“The Carolina Beach residents and businesses have been outstanding supporters of the Foundation since our inception in March of 2024. The community’s attendance at our sold-out, first annual Awards banquet for the Police Officers was a strong endorsement of their physical and financial support, and they have made it possible for the CBPF to provide additional financial grants to the CBPD. These grants allow the department to keep pace with the rapidly evolving technology, critical skills, or special needs that cannot be readily provided through public sector funds or due to an emerging need outside of the normal budgetary process, “said Pete Green, President of the Carolina Beach Police Foundation.