Editing Tabor City, North Carolina (section)

==Police and fire==

Tabor City has its own police department.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.police1.com/law-enforcement-directory/police-departments/tabor-city-police-department-tabor-city-NC-SHlK7v2eqJUPcrry/|title=Tabor City Police Department – Tabor City, North Carolina|website=police1.com}}</ref> As of January 2022, the police chief is Donald Dowless.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usacops.com/nc/p28463/index.html|title=Tabor City Police Department|website=usacops.com}}</ref>  Several officers have run afoul of the law.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wect.com/story/11191140/a-tabor-city-police-officer-is-facing-charges|title=A Tabor City Police Officer is facing charges|website=wect.com|date=September 24, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nrcolumbus.com/former-tabor-city-police-major-arrested/|title=Former Tabor City Police Major arrested|date=January 23, 2020}}</ref>  Since 2019, Tabor City Police Department has maintained community out reach through an official Police Department page on Facebook. A Tabor City Jail was in operation as of 1939.<ref name="columbusco.org"/> As of 2014, the police department takes any persons needing detaining to the Columbus County Detention Center in Whiteville, NC.  In addition, the city is also served by the Columbus County Sheriff. As of April 2021, the sheriff is Jody Greene.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://columbussheriff.com/|title=Columbus County Sheriff's Office - Dedicated To Serve|website=Columbus County Sheriff's Office}}</ref> The Tabor City Court house is located on 5th street, and hears district court cases on an as needed basis. Superior Court cases for the area are heard in the Whiteville Courthouse. The crime rate in Tabor City is higher than the national average.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Tabor-City-North-Carolina.html|title=Crime in Tabor City, North Carolina (NC): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map|website=city-data.com}}</ref> Property crimes being 150% higher than the national average.<ref name="auto3"/> There were 19 registered sex offenders living in Tabor City, North Carolina as of January 21, 2022. The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Tabor City is 217 to 1.<ref name="auto3"/>

The Tabor City Fire Department, led by Chief Jeff Fowler, serves the city and assists several volunteer departments within the county.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://townoftaborcity.org/town-council-staff/|title=Town Council & Staff - Town of Tabor City - North Carolina|website=townoftaborcity.org}}</ref> Cooperation is often necessary with various South Carolina departments. New trucks were delivered in 1939, 1947 and 1955.<ref name="columbusco.org"/> There was no fire department in existence in 1925.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digitalsanbornmaps-proquest-com.proxy044.nclive.org/browse_maps/28/5255/25377/26460/337135|title = NC LIVE: Proxy server login}}</ref> In February 1934, the fire department consisted of a chief, 14 men, one fire station, a Ford Model A truck with a Barton Pumper(capacity 300 g.p.m.), 1000&nbsp;ft 2-1/2" hose, 2-35 gal. chemical tanks, & 500&nbsp;ft 2-1/2" hose.  There were 3 fire alarm boxes and the town hall had an electric siren mounted on the roof.<ref name="auto1"/>

One of the largest North Carolina Prisons, the [[Tabor City Correctional Institution]] is operated within the city limits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncdps.gov/adult-corrections/prisons/prison-facilities/tabor-correctional-institution?a=000003%2C002240%2C002382%2C002308|title=NC DPS: Tabor Correctional Institution|website=ncdps.gov}}</ref> The construction of the Tabor City Correctional Institution (TCI) began in May 2006 and was completed in April 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://normentsecurity.com/portfolio/tabor-correctional-institution/|title=Norment Security Group " Tabor Correctional Institution<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=April 6, 2014|archive-date=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407074727/http://normentsecurity.com/portfolio/tabor-correctional-institution/|url-status=dead}}</ref>  TCI is located over two miles (3&nbsp;km) northwest from the center of Tabor City, and its site was annexed by the town.  The prison is not located continuously with the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.taborcitync.org/correctionalfacility.asp|title=Taborcitync.org|website=www.taborcitync.org}}</ref> The cost to build the prison was approximately $94&nbsp;million,<ref name="whqr">{{cite web|url=http://whqr.org/post/new-state-prison-columbus-county|title=New State Prison in Columbus County &#124; WHQR|date=August 2006|publisher=whqr.org|access-date=December 6, 2014}}</ref> The Tabor City Prison officially opened on August 18, 2008.<ref name="doc.state.nc.us">{{cite web| url=http://www.doc.state.nc.us/NEWS/2008/Releases/Tabor_Correctional_Institution_opens.htm| title=Tabor Correctional Institution Opens| publisher=doc.state.nc.us| access-date=December 6, 2014}}</ref> Crime rates have risen due to the numerous prison guards that commit serious offenses, such as drug smuggling, hit-and-run, murder-for-hire, etc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wect.com/2021/11/23/three-correctional-officers-resign-amid-drug-smuggling-allegations-suspected-inmate-overdose-death/|title = Three correctional officers resign amid drug smuggling allegations and suspected inmate overdose death| date=November 23, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nrcolumbus.com/tabor-correctional-officer-charged-with-bringing-cocaine-marijuana/|title=Tabor Correctional officer charged with bringing in cocaine, marijuana|date=September 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://myfox8.com/news/nc-prison-guard-arrested-in-robbery-beheading-plot/|title=NC prison guard arrested in robbery, beheading plot|date=December 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbtw.com/news/tabor-city-correctional-officer-resigns-after-fatal-robeson-county-hit-and-run/|title=Tabor City correctional officer resigns after fatal Robeson County hit-and-run|date=February 7, 2016}}</ref>