Tammie Hall is a representative from Novant Health who works in violence intervention. She says that working with PCU has been integral to learning about the Wilmington community and supporting the work she does at the hospital. She also notes that PCU had significant, county-backed resources not found elsewhere.
“I don’t have a lot of funding at the hospital level to assist the individuals that come in and to give them different options of what to do. That’s where Port City comes in," she said.
Bryan Farland also works at Novant’s violence intervention program. He spoke about PCU’s work helping families and children — including his own son.
“Port City has been one of those entities that has not only helped the children but they have helped the parents by going to meetings in the schools, by providing funds to keep a roof over people’s heads, providing funds to provide food. They have had Santa on Christmas to help with toys, they’re there with people to help on their birthdays," he said.
Demond Wells, who told commissioners he spent 15 years in prison for second-degree murder, spoke to the efficacy of PCU’s programs and community support.
“And I’m here standing in front of you all here now. And I’m at the same job when I got out of prison seven years ago. So it works," he said.
While the county hopes to find work for some PCU employees elsewhere in the county, they’ve all been officially notified that their positions, and PCU as a whole, will be dissolved at the end of June.
According to a county spokesperson, there are 43 PCU employees. That includes 22 paid directly by the county: four administrators, 11 call-center employees, and seven mediation and outreach (formerly violence interuption), employees.
That total also includes 21 Community Resources Coordinators funded through contracts with local non-profits, LINC, Communities in Schools, and Voyage. Those contracts will end after June.
The 22 directly funded employees were notified on Thursday, May 30. The contracted employees were notified on Monday.
According to the county, "the county's Human Resources department is working with these individuals for priority placement in current job opportunities where interests and skills align, but concrete information about these placements and salaries cannot be confirmed at this time. Similar roles and responsibilities are available in several departments, including but not limited to Health and Human Services, Public Safety Communications, and a variety of administrative functions throughout the county."
