“(Chief) Winnie (Bowens) wanted to start a COP class in Littleton. She called us to help get them in the program,” Brown said Thursday night at a meeting in which the volunteers were presented certificates.

Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Chuck Hasty, Lieutenant Andy Bryant and Deputy Chief Andy Jackson and other officers helped the volunteers in their training. “They went over different things like police ethics, fingerprinting and gang awareness,” Brown said.

“We just went over the basics,” said Sue Wage, president of the Roanoke Rapids COP.

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Wage has been in the city's COP since it started in 2003. “Basically what I've learned is how police officers work and what police officers do. You get a better understanding of what police officers do.”

Bowens, a former Roanoke Rapids police sergeant, said she wanted to bring the COP to Littleton. “What they're doing is they have a sense of fellowship, a sense of partnership. I enjoyed working with them and I do miss them. They're an extra set of eyes, an extra set of ears.”

Like municipalities throughout the county, drug activity is one of the main concerns in Littleton, Bowens said. “We don't have a lot of manpower. The extra set of eyes and ears is going to be very beneficial.”

Bowens said she hopes the town's COP will become officially active around the first of December. “We still have to get ID cards and uniforms.”

For John Clark, one of the volunteers, it's a way to give back to the town. “I love Littleton. It's a way to serve the town. My wife is the town clerk so I was aware of it.”

Clark said there isn't one specific issue he is interested in. “It's just a neighborly presence.”

For Kim Gray, who works at the town library, it was also a matter of service. “I just wanted to do what I could to help the community.”

Ron Girdley is also volunteering for the community service. “I just like small town living,” he said. “As small as Littleton is, the people here need to work together.”

Halifax County Sheriff Wes Tripp said the program is something he is studying to implement in the county. “We have to work together to make it work.”

While volunteers in the program have no arrest powers and don't approach suspects, but simply report any suspicious activity they see as well as participate in civic events, Tripp said, “There's definitely something for the volunteers to do.”

Tripp said volunteers are a dying breed. “It's priceless what you all are doing.”