A standing room only crowd witnessed the swearing in of two new town commissioners and an interim police chief at a meeting of the Maxton board of commissioners Tuesday night.

Commissioners elect James McDougald and Victor Womack took their seats after a brief ceremony conducted by Rep. Garland Pierce of Laurinburg. The two replaced outgoing commissioners James McClanathan and Sallie McLean.

"With two new commissioners on board along with recently hired town manager Vincent Long, who comes to us well qualified and very experienced, I am looking forward to new contributions being made on behalf of the town of Maxton," Mayor Gladys Dean said. "We thrive on diverse ideas and ideologies here, and each will bring something different to the table. It is the beginning of a new era for the town."

Womack expressed positive feelings about his new position as a town commissioner.

"I feel good, and I plan to push for some positive changes for Maxton," he said. "When you fail to grow, you begin to deteriorate."

McDougald said that he would implement some age old wisdom as he settles into his new appointment.

"I imagine it will take a while to get adjusted, but I plan to follow some advice my grandmother gave me that I take to heart. She said 'listen twice as much as you talk and you'll learn something.'"

Also sworn in was Interim Police Chief Tammy Deese, a 14 year veteran of the department. In her first police report to the board, Deese was asked by Commissioner Vivian Brown Morrison to comment on the state of illegal activities in the area.

"Is crime increasing or decreasing in Maxton?" Brown Morrison asked.

"Decreasing," Deese said, adding that the town had increased patrols and had adopted a "zero tolerance" policy toward criminals.

Asked to elaborate, Deese said that zero tolerance means that "when a crime is committed we will make an arrest." Law enforcement officials are tired of giving "a slap on the hands" to law breakers, she said. "If you break the law you will be arrested."

In other business, the board elected Commissioner Emmett "Chip" Morton both mayor pro-tem and to a position on the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport Commission. Each nomination was made by Commissioner Ray Oxendine and passed unanimously. Morton's position with the Airport Commission will begin Jan. 1.