Brochure case detective now a resource officer, former OIPD chief named new chief of BSL
OAK ISLAND — After the Oak Island Police Department lost its top two ranking officers in October 2018, several personnel changes have since taken effect.
Changes stemming from the back-to-back resignations affected both the department and its surrounding agencies.
Related: Pay cuts, rank reductions, and new positions: Breaking down Brunswick County’s police shake-ups
Both officers who left the Oak Island Police Department now have new jobs. Former Oak Island Police Chief Greg Jordan was first to resign, followed by his second-in-command, Tony Burke, one week later.
Jordan resigned two days after the re-arrest of Oak Island Mayor Cin Brochure’s son, Justin Brochure. Justin Brochure, 36, was first arrested on June 28, 2018, on 31 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He was re-arrested on Oct. 10, 2018, for violating his pre-trial release agreement by making contact with a minor, court records show.
Despite the timing, Oak Island maintains through its attorney that the resignations were unrelated to Brochure’s arrest.
Internal changes
The detective who lead Oak Island Police Department’s investigation into the mayor’s son, named in all of Brochure’s warrants, is now a Community Resource Officer. In January, the department advertised the new community resource position internally. Demello applied to the position, according to the town’s attorney, and was selected on Feb. 18. After serving the department for 15 years, Demello’s current salary is $53,685.
Chief Wilburn Ingram, appointed to serve as interim chief after Jordan’s resignation, is now officially chief. Ingram, 72, is earning a salary of $87,095 –at $2,124 higher than his sign-on salary in October 2018.
All but one of Oak Island’s councilmembers refused to answer questions about Ingram’s appointment. He was named in a 1998 federal complaint, according to the Kinston Free Press, that allege he raped and harassed a fellow policewoman.
Lt. Chris Franks was promoted to Assistant Police Chief on Jan. 7, after 22 years with the department. His current salary is $72,291. Franks previously served over the Detectives Division as Captain, according to Oak Island’s attorney, Brian Edes. Hi position was recently reclassified to Lieutenant and filled by Mike Oxford. Oxford, a 19-year OIPD officer, was laterally transferred from the Patrol Division to the Detective Division, also on Jan. 7. Oxford’s salary is $62,228.
Fifteen-year officer Frankie Cooke was promoted on March 4 to Lieutenant over the Patrol Division. Cooke’s salary is $54,945.
External changes
After taking a steep pay cut, former Oak Island chief Jordan is back on top. Jordan was named Police Chief of Boiling Spring Lakes on March 20. As Oak Island’s chief, Jordan made an $80,095 annual salary.
Following his abrupt resignation, Jordan was hired on at Boiling Spring Lakes as a patrolman, earning $45,830 — almost half of what he made in Oak Island. With four months of the job under his belt, Jordan’s promotion to Boiling Spring Lakes’ chief was bumped up by over $32,000 to earn an annual salary of $78,290.
Jordan’s former number two in Oak Island, Burke, remains employed at Southport Police Department. In December, months after resigning as assistant chief, Burke took a job in Southport as a lieutenant. He took a $19,925 pay cut and earns a $56,000 salary.
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