GREENSBORO, N.C. — Confederate monuments are in the forefront of news coverage lately, and from UNC-Chapel Hill to Winston-Salem, the fate of these historic statues is a source of debate and questions.
As WFMY News 2 reported in August, the toppling of the Silent Sam statue at UNC prompted new security measures closer to home. Alamance County deputies put 24-hour patrols around the confederate monument in downtown Graham until further notice.
The Graham confederate monument is outside the historic old courthouse on county land. It, too, has been the site of recent protests.
VERIFY QUESTION
A Good Morning Show viewer reached out, wondering, "How much money is Graham spending on patrolling the confederate monument?"
VERIFY SOURCE
Byron Tucker - Public Information Officer for Alamance County Sheriff's Office
Lieutenant Daniel Sisk - Criminal Investigator with Graham Police Department
VERIFY PROCESS
Tucker explained the 24-hour patrol lasted only a couple of months and did not cost the department any extra money. He said the department moved existing assets around and did not hire outside help. So, taxpayers were not paying for the increased patrol.
He mentioned there is already a 24-hour camera on the front of the courthouse monitoring all outside activities. And, deputies are always inside the courthouse during normal business hours, so hypothetically, they could respond to an issue at the monument at a moment's notice, if needed.
Lt. Sisk explained the Graham Police Department is not involved in around-the-clock patrol, because the statue is Alamance County property. But, officers routinely monitor the downtown area by walking and driving through it daily.
VERIFY CONCLUSION
The notion taxpayers are funding extra patrol at the confederate monument in Graham is false.
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