Officer Charles Resigns

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was originally published in The Jan. 3, 2008 issue of The Crewe-Burkeville Journal.)

CREWE — Bad news travels faster than a weekly newspaper can publish a new edition. And the bad news this time around is that Crewe Police Officer Nathaniel Charles has resigned from the department, effective December 28.

The word that the veteran officer was leaving had been reported in The Journal and circulated on the street weeks ago. But the news was not yet final. It is now.

The bad news for residents who came to rely and respect him traveled fast, and it has traveled no doubt to the criminal element who counted the days until the officer exited his post.

Officer Charles, long a colleague of Crewe Police Chief Mike Hall, joined the Crewe Police Department in September 2005.
He quickly learned the town and its people. He especially was good in dealing with young people and combined modern investigative techniques with good old-fashioned policing such as using lots of shoe leather to solve cases.

He knows the book inside and out, but he showed again and again a humane side and is extremely street smart.
His efforts won him recent recognition as an outstanding police officer by Southside Virginia Community College.

He said he is leaving largely because of financial considerations. Even while on the force here, he was hit every day he was on duty with the impact of soaring gasoline prices, for he had to travel from his home in Dinwiddie County to and from Crewe, about 100 miles every work day.

So he is returning to the Dinwiddie Sheriff’s Department where he and Chief Hall once served together.

“I want to thank Crewe Town Council members for allowing me to work here,” he told The Journal the day after Christmas. “I also want to thank Chief Hall and the citizens. I couldn’t have done this work without the citizens. For a police department to be successful, it has to have the help of the citizens.

“I have enjoyed my stay while here and want to leave the door open in case I want to come back.”
Officer Charles and his bride married last Saturday.

“I hope I have an open door to come back if I decide to,” he said.

It is hoped that bit of news also travels fast — and to the criminal element.