Cary Police Department sends officers to western North Carolina to help with Helene relief efforts
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Law enforcement from the Triangle is on the front lines helping in the recovery and relief efforts in western North Carolina.
Nearly a dozen officers from Cary Police Department are in Ashville as part of the Wake County Task Force. One of those officers is Sgt. Tim Hageter.
"Primarily dealing with traffic enforcement, keeping people out of the area that don't belong so the crews have a nice, safe environment to work. We just want everything to run smoothly and they have the best accommodations possible, open streets to get the work done," he said when asked about what he's doing in the recovery efforts.
ABC11 had the opportunity to ride along with Cary police officers as they provided services in Biltmore Village and surrounding areas. While with Sgt. Hageter and Lt. Sheri Abraham, ABC11 saw firsthand the widespread destruction that remains.
SEE ALSO | 11 members of same family killed when mudslide wiped out 'Craigtown' during Hurricane Helene
Both officers said since they arrived in Ashville last weekend, the cleanup efforts and crews who have been restoring power haven't stopped.
"You see all those workers out there, from sun up to sun down these people are working non-stop. It's what you want to see. Neighbors helping neighbors 24-hours a day trying to make this area better," Abraham said.
ABC11 was there as a volunteer delivered a meal to ensure officers were well fed. Other poignant moments include interacting with people who lost everything.
"One way that we've been able to help is while the parents were walking through their former business, our officers just played with the kids. They hadn't had great meals since all of this happened. So they gave them some candy and just took their minds away from what they see and what they're experiencing," Abraham said.
She said in her 25 years of law enforcement work she's never experienced anything like this destruction. But along the same lines, she's never seen so many people coming together to help either.
SEE ALSO | 911 dispatcher recalls harrowing moments answering calls for help as Helene ripped through WNC
"We're able to aid other communities, it's a great thing. But also when you see an Asheville police officer come up to you and you see the exhaustion on their face, you see the sadness on their face, and they come to say thank you, I got to go home and I got to see my family because you came -- really nothing that you can say that could describe that feeling but gratitude," she said.
A rewarding experience and an experience that Sgt. Hageter said will help in the future. "A learning experience for our agency and emergency management skills we can bring back to Wake County to prepare for our next natural disaster."
Besides Cary Police Department, ABC11 has seen help from other Triangle agencies. In every small town, we've been to, we've talked not only to law enforcement but National Guard, search and rescue, public information officers, and volunteers all from the Triangle who are here to help western North Carolina.
