International Paper Awards Grant for Portable Police Radios

VANCEBORO—International Paper Company recently awarded Pitt Community College grant funding the school will use to purchase new portable handheld radios for its campus police officers.

Last month, PCC Police Chief Tyrone Turnage and PCC Director of Grants Management Julia Crippen visited International Paper’s (IP) New Bern Mill to receive a $15,021-check for the equipment upgrade.

“At International Paper, we make sustainable investments to protect and improve the lives of our employees and mobilize our people, products and resources to address critical needs in the communities where our employees live and work,” IP Communications Specialist Catherine M. Burgess said following the presentation. “With safety as a core value, we are honored to present this check to improve the safety and quality of life for Pitt Community College.”

Turnage said the radios his officers are currently using have served the college well for many years but are outdated.

“As technology changes, so does the need for faster, more reliable channels of communication,” he said. “The college needed to upgrade to a dependable model that will allow for fast and clear communication in the event of a campus emergency.”

The chief went on to say that the IP grant will “improve the safety of the entire student body, faculty and staff, and the many community members” who participate in on-campus events at Pitt.

“This equipment brings PCC to a point where police communications are improved throughout every building on campus,” Turnage said.

08/05/2019