Outstanding Police Officer, Gregory Vinson

WILSON'S MILLS NATIVE BRINGS KINDNESS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

By Randy Capps

The phrase “protect and serve” is often associated with law enforcement personnel as part of its primary mission.

Gregory Vinson's application of that spirit has earned him the 2019 Johnston Now Honors Distinguished Police Officer award.

Vinson, the son of Greg and Sharon Vinson, grew up in Wilson's Mills as the oldest of two boys. A 2001 graduate of Smithfield-Selma High School, Vinson went on to serve in the Army and work with young people before starting his law enforcement career.

It was that experience that sparked his desire to get into police work.

“It started with working with at-risk youth,” he said. “People that know me know that I love people to a fault. I love the betterment of people, and sometimes I feel that, if we police ourselves, we can redirect certain behaviors and certain things. Sometimes, you can get jaded and you can't see the forest for the trees. You might be stuck in a situation, and you might need a person to say, 'hey, step over here. Go this way.'

“I saw that in a lot of the kids I was working with and mentoring. They make

one mistake, and the next thing you know, they're in the county jail. Sometimes it's hard, once you get to that point, to pull you back. You've set a new path that, in some cases, you can't really come back from.”

It was a message, he thought, that would be more powerful coming from a police officer.

“If I was on that side of things, then I'd have the power to redirect certain things,” he said. “I could approach it a different way. I could say, 'listen, typically you would get in trouble, but this is your get out of jail free card.' And just kind of show them the right way.

“Because I'm in a position where I can do that. And when you're in that position, you're more believable. It's hard to tell somebody about the law when you're not the law. … It worked great. Some I was able to help. Some, I wasn't. But the ones I did help, I still talk to this day.”

So, he began working for the Johnston County Sheriff's Department at the detention center, completed Basic Law Enforcement Training and became a deputy. He went on to earn a degree from UNC Pembroke and worked his way up to detective before taking his current job

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

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.