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Gregory Jamar Vinson Distinguished Police Officer
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WILSON'S MILLS NATIVE BRINGS KINDNESS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
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By Randy Capps
The phrase “protect and serve” is often one mistake, and the next thing you know, associated with law enforcement personnel they're in the county jail. Sometimes it's as part of its primary mission. hard, once you get to that point, to pull you back. You've set a new path that, in Gregory Vinson's application of that spirit some cases, you can't really come back has earned him the 2019 Johnston Now from.” Honors Distinguished Police Officer award. It was a message, he thought, that would be more powerful coming from a police Vinson, the son of Greg and Sharon officer. Vinson, grew up in Wilson's Mills as the oldest of two boys. A 2001 graduate of “If I was on that side of things, then I'd Smithfield-Selma High School, Vinson have the power to redirect certain things,” went on to serve in the Army and work he said. “I could approach it a different with young people before starting his law way. I could say, 'listen, typically you enforcement career. would get in trouble, but this is your get out of jail free card.' And just kind of show It was that experience that sparked his them the right way. desire to get into police work. “Because I'm in a position where I can “It started with working with at-risk do that. And when you're in that position, youth,” he said. “People that know me you're more believable. It's hard to tell know that I love people to a fault. I love somebody about the law when you're not the betterment of people, and sometimes the law. … It worked great. Some I was I feel that, if we police ourselves, we can able to help. Some, I wasn't. But the ones I redirect certain behaviors and certain did help, I still talk to this day.” things. Sometimes, you can get jaded and you can't see the forest for the trees. You So, he began working for the Johnston might be stuck in a situation, and you County Sheriff's Department at the might need a person to say, 'hey, step over detention center, completed Basic Law here. Go this way.' Enforcement Training and became a deputy. He went on to earn a degree from “I saw that in a lot of the kids I was UNC Pembroke and worked his way up working with and mentoring. They make to detective before taking his current job
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as a criminal investigator for the North Carolina Department of Insurance. “We try to keep rates at a good place for the consumer — you and I,” he said of his current duties. “Unbeknownst to a lot of people, we have a lot of fraud that happens. From staged accidents to insurance agents fraudulently signing documents to get commission, things of that nature. As a result of that, it affects the price. It comes back on us as consumers.” It's quite a change from the sort of work day he often experienced with the sheriff's department. “Going from child cases, homicides and robberies to insurance fraud is a big difference,” he said. “But I will say that the experience and opportunities I had at the sheriff's office definitely prepared me for the situation I'm in right now. There's no doubt about it.” In the future, Vinson wants to pursue a degree in professional counseling in order to help his fellow officers deal with the mental strain of the profession. “We've been dealing with a lot of uneasy attention,” he said. “ A lot of times, being in the profession, you don't feel like you have an outlet. It's hard to be in a situation
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where you have a fraction of a second to make a decision, and it can go either way — good or bad. “You have to live with the consequences of that decision. And the people who don't make that decision or understand what's involved with that decision are the people who make assumptions about what you've done or what you could have done.” He still hasn't lost sight of why he got into law enforcement in the first place, however. He works with a local nonprofit, InsideOut Development, to offer mentoring, self-esteem building and workshops for adolescents. “I love helping people when I can,” he said. “I want everybody to be the best version of themselves, and sometimes it's hard to do that on your own.” “A kind word goes a long way, regardless of who you are. That's what the good Lord wants us to do. Be there for each other. In law enforcement, I've been able to help a lot of people so far. And I'm looking forward to helping a lot more.” Vinson lives in Clayton with his wife, Erica, and three children; Alijah, 11, Ashton, 6, and Aariyn, 1.
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