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Jared A. Keys
Chief of Police

I was born in Charleston South Carolina but have lived in Eastern North Carolina for the majority of my life. I began my law enforcement career in 2015.

After completing Basic Law Enforcement Training at Craven Community College, I began serving at the Craven County Sheriff office where I worked for almost 5 years. During my time at the Sheriff Office, I served in the Criminal Patrol division and as a School Resource officer at West Craven Middle School. I have completed multiple continuing education classes to include Police Law Institute, Field Training Officer as well as the advanced FTO training.

I began working for the Town of Vanceboro March of 2020. July of that same year I was promoted to Sergeant.

In August of 2022 I became Chief of Vanceboro Police Department.  Vanceboro Police Department and myself are going to work hard to protect and serve the community with our resources and training.  The department is a participating agency of the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program and also works with multiple agencies to make Vanceboro and surrounding areas a better place to travel.  Vanceboro Police Department enforces criminal laws and town ordinances.  I would encourage citizens of the Town of Vanceboro to become more involved in the Community Watch Program.  

Please don't  hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns or comments you may have. 

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I was Born in Hampton Virginia and Moved to New Bern North Carolina in 1995. In 2014 I was sworn in at the Craven County Sheriff’s Office where I worked Criminal Patrol for seven years and one year SRO at the Craven Community College Havelock Campus. During which I was promoted to Corporal. During my employment with the Sheriff’s Office I completed yearly in service training courses, multiple continuing education, and certifications to include High speed pursuit, Low speed urban pursuit, Crisis intervention training (CIT), and Basic SRO training. On September, 29, 2022 I was sworn in with the Vanceboro Police Department. I look forward to serving this community and getting to know the people that make it up.

Theodore R. Sheldon
Sergeant

James G. Herring III

Corporal

I was born in Tucker, Georgia but raised in New Bern, NC. I joined the U.S. Army in 2011 and served six years as an airborne infantryman stationed in Ft. Richardson, Alaska. After my service with active duty, I started attending college at Craven community college while serving in the North Carolina National Guard. I earned an associate in arts degree in 2019 and after that, I attended and passed BLET.

Recently, I have moved to the Vanceboro area and the community here have all made me feel right at home. It certainly takes a village to be able to sustain the way of life that Vanceboro has built, and I am very proud to be a part of the team that makes it happen. I am very much looking forward to, and excited to be starting my law enforcement career in the Vanceboro Police Department.

James Garland Herring III

Email: jherring@vanceboronc.com

I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and moved to New Bern in 2021. While living in Oklahoma, I completed the Tulsa Technical College criminal justice/ practical law enforcement course my junior year of high school. Following high school, I went to Tulsa Community College where I took my general education classes. After leaving Tulsa Community College I went to Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma. In August of 2021 I attended basic law enforcement training (BLET) at Craven Community College and graduated the following December. I would like to say thank you to the Chief of Police, the Mayor, all of our aldermen, as well as the community of Vanceboro as a whole for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to serving this community and becoming an asset to the department and the Town of Vanceboro.

Walker B. Hess
SRO

Justin Whaley
Officer

I am local to the area, raised in Pollocksville, NC. In the fall of 2006, I began my journey into Law Enforcement by enrolling in the Criminal Justice Associates program at Craven Community College.  I worked in construction while also working my way through college.  In March of 2009, my hard work and determination paid off as I completed my Basic Law Enforcement Training, and was hired that same month by the Craven County Sheriff's Office.  For 6 1/2 years, I took pride in serving the different communities throughout Craven County, but the Vanceboro Community was always my favorite.  Probably because it's small town atmosphere reminded me of my own small hometown of Pollocksville.  I made many friends here, and, in 2012, I moved to the Vanceboro area.

In 2015, I resigned from the Sheriff's Office in search of a different career. However, getting out of Law Enforcement is not an easy task. I missed the connection that I had with residents in the community, and serving the public. In August of 2016, Chief Jenkins and the town was gracious enough to hire me as a part-time officer. I am proud to be a member of the department, and proud to serve the residents of our community. I strive to make our community safer, not just for me and my family, but also for you and yours.

Officer Justin Whaley

James Jenkins Jr. 

Officer

I was born in New Bern and moved to the Vanceboro area in 2002.  I started working as a Police Officer with the Vanceboro Police Department in April of 2010 after graduating from Basic Law Enforcement Training at Beaufort Community College.  I serve the police department as a traffic officer, investigator and evidence officer.  My training and continuing education consist of objectives to keep the Town of Vanceboro safe and to strive to make it a great place to work and live.  I have had training in crime scene management, speed measurement, standardized field sobriety testing, and training to perform chemical analyses of the breath to determine alcohol concentration to enforce driving while impaired.

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