Carter Witten received the golden bars of a captain at a pinning ceremony today at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters in Morehead City.
Witten, who most recently served as sergeant in Craven, Pamlico and Beaufort counties, now leads the Wilmington Marine Patrol District, which runs from the Emerald Isle bridge to the South Carolina line and includes two sergeants and 14 field officers.
He began his duties as captain April 17, replacing Jason Walker, who was promoted to major in December.
Among the Marine Patrol officers, Witten is known as the “go-to guy,” said Col. Dean Nelson.
“If you needed a job done, he was the one who stepped up, volunteered and did it,” Nelson said.
He has probably volunteered to help do projects for every section in the division, Nelson said.
He has also now worked in all three Marine Patrol Districts.
Witten, 41, began his career with Marine Patrol in July 2001 as a patrol officer in Hyde County. He transferred to Carteret County in July 2002, where he patrolled the Newport River, and later to Craven County, where he patrolled the Havelock and New Bern areas.
He was promoted to sergeant for Hyde and Dare counties in September 2008, and transferred to Craven, Pamlico and Beaufort counties in March 2011.
Witten thanked his family and fellow officers for supporting him and helping him get to where he is today.
“I’m enjoying the new position and am looking forward to getting to know my new family down south,” he said.
Witten is a native of Havelock. Prior to joining the Marine Patrol, he worked with the Havelock Police Department from October 1998 to July 2001.
He graduated from Havelock High School in 1994 and received his Basic Law Enforcement Training Certificate from Carteret Community College in 1997.
He lives in Havelock with his wife Joy and 14-year-old son Taylor.
Contact Witten for comment at 910-796-7220 or Carter.Witten@ncdenr.gov.
Download a high-resolution photo of Witten here.