florence police annual report florence police department 3 ... luke mcintyre, danny hines, ... lee...

Florence Police20 0 8 A n n u A l R e po Rt

Law Enforcement

Oath of HonorOn my honor, I will never

betray my badge,my integrity,my character

or the public trust.

I will always have the courage

to hold myself and others accountable for our actions.

I will always uphold the Constitution,

my community and the agency I serve.

2008 ANNUAL REPORT FLORENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT 3

Message from Mayor Irons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Florence City Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Message from Chief Rick Singleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Deputy Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Command Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Patrol Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Community Policing Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Florence Zone maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Criminal Investigations Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Crash Reduction Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Special Operations Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Mounted Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Bike Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17School Resource Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Housing Authority Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Water Rescue and Recovery Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18K-9 Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Hazardous Devices Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Administrative Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Community Mental Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Police Rangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Victim Services Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Public Safety Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Chaplains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Communications Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Warrant Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Services Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Training Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25New Employees & Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Prayer To St . Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Year At A Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29In Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Protection Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The safety information contained within this report was compiled with permission from information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Trade Commission, National Drug Awareness Program, Department of Homeland Security, L.A.W. Publications, and historic data compiled by the Florence Police Department and its agents.

FLORENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT 2008 ANNUAL REPORT4

MESSAGE FROM MAYOR IRONS

As Mayor of the City of Florence, I am pleased

to present to you the Florence Police Department

Annual Report for 2008. This report summarizes the

extensive work performed by our police department

whose main purpose is to provide for public safety.

Public safety entails a variety of responses to criminal and

non-criminal acts, as well as establishing and maintaining

crime prevention programs. The men and women of our

Police Department are well prepared and work hard

to ensure our safety. They risk their lives daily so that

we may enjoy a safe living environment. Each officer

has spent hundreds of hours in training and the City

Council has designated thousands of dollars to ensure

that our officers have the most up-to-date knowledge

and equipment available. This investment has paid off.

Florence continues to be rated as one of the safest cities

in the nation. This positive rating was attained through

dedicated and committed officers, and through citizens

who are dedicated and committed to forming strong,

proactive relationships with our police department.

I am proud of the accomplishments of the men and

women of the Florence Police Department and I am

especially proud to share their successes with you.

Sincerely,

Bobby E. Irons

Mayor of Florence

Bobby E. Irons, Mayor of Florence


FLORENCE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

DISTRICT 1

Sam Pendelton, Jr.

DISTRICT 2

William (Dick) Jordan

DISTRICT 3

Herman Graham

DISTRICT 4

Barry Morris

DISTRICT 5

James Barnhart

DISTRICT 6

Andrew Betterton


MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF

It seems that the challenges our officers and employees

face never subside. With methamphetamine hitting

our area over the past few years, our Patrol and

Investigations Division, as well as the Drug Task

Force, have been stretched to their limits. While the

task force is doing a formidable job of working the

drug cases, our patrol officers and investigators are

overwhelmed with the “spin-off” crimes that result from

drug addiction. Vehicle and residential burglaries are a

popular crime and some of the most difficult to solve.

While our officers are working diligently to meet this

challenge, our community policing program continues

to attack the issue from another angle. The old saying

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” could

never be more true. Each and every citizen can contribute

to that effort by taking the necessary precautions to

protect their own property and by reporting any and

all suspicious activity to the police department for us

to follow-up on. By working together, we can make

a significant difference in meeting this challenge.

I also want to commend all of those employees who work

day in and day out behind the scenes Our dispatchers,

clerical staff, records clerks, police service officers and

volunteers do a tremendous job and play a major role

in keeping our City safe. They are a vital part of our

organization and we couldn’t function without them.

I think we can all be proud to live in a city that is

committed to public safety. I am certainly proud

of the employees of the police department and

the contributions they make in that effort.

Rick L. Singleton

Chief of Police

Chief of Police Rick L. Singleton


DEPUTY CHIEFS

Deputy Chief Tim Shaddix, Deputy Chief Neal Rhodes

FLORENCE POLICE COMMAND STAFF

Captain Marty DoddCaptain Shannon OliveCaptain Randy England

Captain Jim Curtis Captain Ron Tyler Captain Melissa Beasley


FLORENCE PATROL DIVISION

The Patrol Division is the backbone of the Florence

Police Department. It is composed of four shifts of

uniformed officers. Each shift works twelve hours. The

primary responsibilities of patrol officers are to deter

crime by proactive patrols,

respond to calls for service,

investigate criminal activity

and to enforce laws. Patrol

officers are the first re-

sponders to calls for help from

citizens, crimes in progress,

traffic accidents or other

emergencies.

Each patrol officer must complete the Alabama Peace

Officers Standards and Training requirements and a twelve-

week field-training program prior to being released for solo

patrol work. Each officer receives additional departmental

training which includes fire-

arms training, use of force,

dealing with the mentally ill,

domestic violence and diver-

sity training. Officers from

the patrol division also serve

in specialized units such as

SWAT, bike patrol, mounted

patrol and the dive team.


FLORENCE PATROL DIVISION

Day Shift AFront Row: Bill White, Vicky Gillette, Capt. Melissa Beasley,

Hal Howard, Sgt. Phil Moss Back Row: Lt. Tim Wooten, Sgt. Stephen Robertson, Dale Frederick, Eric Pollard, Kris Hairell,

Wayne Thompson Not Pictured: Jonathan Richey

Day Shift BFront Row: Luke McIntyre, Danny Hines, Capt. Melissa Beasley,

Chris Atencio, Brian Perry Back Row: Sgt. Greg Cobb, Lt. Ken Lester, Shane Blalock, CharlieWatkins, Robby Talcott,

Sgt. Randy Lee Not Pictured: Lee Smith

Night Shift AFront Row: Sgt. Jeff Stanfield, Drew Harless, Capt. Shannon Olive, Lt. Robert Richey, Tim Tankersley Back Row: Sgt. Ryan Fleming,

Troy Gurley, Alex Gyunn, Matt Minor, John Woodrum, Eric Staley, Chris Faust

Night Shift BFront Row: Robbie Howard, Zach Maxwell, Lt. Rolando Bograin,

Capt. Shannon Olive, Sgt. Cliff Billingsley, Kevin Garner Back Row: Keith Robinson, Matt Burcham, Sgt. Jeff Redcross, Scott Perkins,

Justin Wright, Dale Oldham Not Pictured: Max Dotson


COMMUNITY POLICING UNIT

Lieutenant Jeff OwenCaptain Jim Curtis

Ricky Sharp

Sergeant Mike Holt

John Hamm


COMMUNITY POLICING UNIT

Florence Police Zone Maps


CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT

The goal of the Criminal Investigation

Division is to seek justice for victims

of felony crime in our city. They are

responsible for investigating crimes

and presenting their findings to the

District Attorney’s office for prosecu-

tion. Detectives are paired together

to investigate either property crimes,

crimes against persons, white col-

lar or juvenile crimes. Other detec-

tives are also assigned to the Drug

Task Force.

The Missing and Exploited Children’s

Unit investigates crimes involv-

ing missing and/or abused children

and investigates crimes involving

Internet Crimes against children.

MECU consists of officers from

the Criminal Investigations Divi-

sion, Patrol and a School Resource

officer. This unit works closely with

the National Center for Missing

and Exploited Children. Parents

and teachers can find information

and many useful resources on the

National Center for Missing and Ex-

ploited Children’s website at www.

missingkids.com.

Front Row: Monty Merryman, Lt. Larry Martin, Capt. Randy England, Sgt. Dennis Smith, Suzanna Taylor Back Row: Catrina Nippers, Kevin Jackson, Jerry Pearson,

Keith Johnson, Felecia Smith, Delta Jones Not Pictured: David Bradley


CRASH REDUCTION UNIT

The Crash Reduction Unit is responsi-

ble for investigating vehicle crashes and

enforcing our traffic laws. They focus

on traffic offenses which are the cause

of most traffic accidents, and concen-

trate their patrols in areas where large

numbers of accidents occur. In addi-

tion to enforcement, the CRU engages

in public awareness campaigns to help

reduce the number of wrecks. They

also talk to various community groups

and drivers’ education classes.

Front Row: Jason Novak, Frazier Anderson, Troy Gurley Back Row: Lt. Tony Barnett, Jeremy Keeton, Sgt. Chris Ticer, Lance Smith


SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAM

The Special Operations Team, also

known as SWAT, is a unit of officers

highly trained in various weaponry

and tactics. SWAT is used in high risk

situations where the potential of danger

is great. Common occurrences where

SWAT is needed are hostage situations,

barricaded persons, executive protec-

tion details, high risk warrant service

and intelligence gathering. Through the

well-trained team concept, combined

with special weapons and tactics, the

goal of SWAT is to apprehend danger-

ous persons without death or injuries to

the persons involved.

SWAT TeamFront Row: Sgt. Jack Watkins, Sgt. Jeff Stanfield, Sgt. Mike Holt, Lt. Eric Nichols, Sgt. Chris Ticer, Sgt. Dennis Patterson Back Row: Hal Howard, Kevin Jackson,

Robby Talcott, John Woodrum, Sgt. Stephen Robertson, Ira Davis, Sgt. Cliff Billingsley Not Pictured: Lee Smith, Max Dotson


Our Mission StatementOur mission is to help people in need, keep our streets safe,

prevent and solve crimes, and bring those responsible for committing criminal acts to justice.

In pursuing our mission, we will always:

• Respect the rights of all people.

• Guard our individual integrity, as well as the integrity of our department, and

• Conduct ourselves in a professional manner.


MOUNTED PATROL

The Florence Police Mounted Unit consists of five riders

and two mounts. The unit works part time at special events

and major functions. The unit also patrols the parking lots

in our shopping districts during the holidays. The mounted

unit is especially useful for spotting vehicle burglaries or

disorderly crowds because of their elevated position. They

are also able to respond in a timely manner if they see illegal

or dangerous activity.

Left to Right: Kris Hairell, Robby Talcott, Luke McIntyre, Jonathan Richey Not Pictured: Lee Smith


Front Row: Sgt. Randy Lee, Bill White, Suzanna Taylor, Brian Perry Back Row: Hal Howard, Matt Askew,

Charlie Watkins, Drew Harless

Left to Right: Donnie Hill, Dwight Philpot, Matt Askew, Ricky McCreless, Janice Johnson

The Florence Police Department Bike Patrol Unit is a part-

time assignment consisting of nine police officers. The bike

unit is primarily used for special events such as parades, the

W.C. Handy Music Festival, NCAA Division II National

Championship Game and the July 4th Spirit of Freedom

Celebration. Additionally, the bike patrol unit patrols the

shopping districts during holidays and peak shopping peri-

ods. Members of the bike unit also teach bicycle safety to

children at various community events throughout the year.

BIKE PATROL

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS

School Resource Officers are police officers

assigned to schools on a full-time basis. SROs

have worked in the city schools since 1991. The

primary role of the SRO is to provide a safe and

secure school environment for the students and

teachers. SROs work hard to build relationships

between the police and students. They act as role

models and provide help to students facing trouble

or problems at home. In addition to talking with

students about alcohol and drug abuse, etc., the

SROs help students learn life skills such as leader-

ship, responsibility and community service.


HOUSING AUTHORITY UNIT

In 1991 the Florence Housing Authority and the Florence

Police Department teamed together to form a special unit

of Florence police officers to work in the public housing

areas of the city of Florence. Housing Police Officers use

a community policing approach by their constant presence

and through regular interaction with residents of the hous-

ing area. This interaction builds trust and support among

the residents. The primary role of the Housing Officers is

to improve the overall quality of life in the housing areas.

Regularly working in these areas allows the Housing

Officers to address problems, make arrests and address

other potential problems; the result is a safe environment for

families to live and raise their families. There are four full-

time Housing officers serving 675 housing units with over

two thousand tenants. The Housing Police Unit is totally

funded by the Florence Housing Authority through grants

from the federal government.

In 2003, the Florence Police Water Rescue and Recovery

Unit added a 21-foot patrol/dive boat to our inventory. This

vital addition has enabled the team to rapidly respond to

water borne emergencies. For example, team members

recently aided in the rescue of a man whose boat capsized

near Wilson Dam. The patrol boat has also given the Water

Rescue and Recovery Unit the ability to assist in Homeland

Defense by increased inspections of bridges, dams and water-

ways vital to our area. The Water Rescue and Recovery

Unit is available for rescue and recovery operations, evi-

dence recovery, and underwater crime scene investigations.

The team is available to assist other agencies in this regard,

and often respond to these requests for services.

WATER RESCUE & RECOVERY UNIT

Front Row: Drew Harless, Sgt. Ryan Fleming, John Woodrum, Robbie Howard, Sgt. Greg Cobb Back Row: Robby Talcott,

Chuck Hearn, Capt. Shannon Olive, Shane Blalock, Keith Robinson, Sgt. Cliff Billingsley

Bennie Johnson Chris ArreolaKen Davis


Left to Right: Jason Fort (Jack), Wes Gargis (Kirk)

K-9 UNIT

The K-9 Unit consists of two Handler/Dog teams. The K-9

Units support officers in the field by searching for drugs and

tracking for wanted or missing persons. The K-9 Units also

conduct demonstrations for schools and civic organizations

to help educate and deter and prevent drug use. Officers

who volunteer for K-9 duty train regularly and care for the

dogs themselves.

HAZARDOUS DEVICES UNIT

The Florence Police Department has an accredited hazard-

ous devices unit. The two bomb technicians graduated from

the FBI Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in

Huntsville, Alabama. In 2007, the Department of Home-

land Defense provided our bomb technicians over $1.5 mil-

lion in bomb detection/disposal equipment. In return, our

technicians are committed to respond anywhere in the state

of Alabama, Northeast Mississippi or Southern Tennessee if

ever necessary in response to a terror or bomb threat.


ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

The Administrative Staff is responsible for grant writing and

for transcribing interviews for the Criminal Investigations

Division. Others serve as administrative assistants to our

chiefs and the Criminal Investigation Unit.

Left to Right: Cindy Wilson, Felecia Smith, Catrina Nippers, Leah Ford

Left to Right: Donia Zavala, Melinda Maxwell, Pearline Johnson, Abby Williams

RECORDS DIVISION

The Records Division is responsible for duties including

compiling and maintaining all police reports. They provide

copies of reports to the public, such as wreck reports to

drivers involved in accidents. In addition, they must also

prepare Uniform Crime Reports required by the FBI and the

Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center regarding the

number of felony crimes that occur within the city.


POLICE RANGERS PROGRAM

The Florence Police Ranger program allows youths from age

16 to 21, who are interested in law enforcement, to work

with police officers in a limited capacity. Rangers ride with

police officers on patrol and assist officers at special events.

These duties allow Rangers to gain valuable experience in

various aspects of police work.

VICTIM SERVICES ADVOCATES

In 2003, the Florence Police Department created the state’s

first police-based Victim’s Service Advocate position. This

position bridges the gap between victims and various service

providers. It allows us as a department to arrange much-

needed services for crime victims during a traumatic period

in their lives.

COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH

The Community Mental Health

officer is a law enforcement officer

trained and equipped to intervene in

crisis situations involving people who

are mentally ill. If police officers are

confronted with individuals who lead

them to believe that they are mentally

ill and pose an immediate danger to

themselves or to others, the commu-

nity mental health officer can order

an involuntary commitment for a

psychiatric evaluation. As a result,

rather than being arrested for their

behavior, they are provided treatment

for their illness.

Captain Melissa Beasley Mental Health Officer

John Hamm Mental Health Officer


PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS

Police Service Officers perform a variety

of functions at the police department.

They are full-time, non-sworn employ-

ees whose responsibility is to perform

essential, non-emergency functions in

order to free up the police officers to

handle their regular police duties. PSOs

staff the police desk 24 hours a day,

every day of the year. They answer non-

emergency telephone calls, take minor

incident police reports, enter data such

as current arrest warrants into the

computer, and facilitate bail bonds for

prisoners. Other PSOs enforce parking

violations by issuing parking citations

in downtown Florence and through-

out the city at various locations. In

addition, the PSOs and other service

division employees work to maintain

the fleet of vehicles at the police depart-

ment, and help maintain the police

building. They also help with spe-

cial events such as the NCAA Division

II National Championship, the Trail of

Tears, the W.C. Handy Music Festival,

and the July 4th Spirit of Freedom

Celebration.

VOLUNTEERS IN POLICE SERVICE

VIPs volunteer with the

department by assisting at

community events, entering

data into our computer data-

base and by placing follow-

up phone calls to victims.

By volunteering, they free up

our police officers to handle

other law enforcement relat-

ed matters.

Left to Right: Bob Strona, Charlie Goodman, Ken Dial, Joan Jackson

Front Row: Pauline Hillis, Twyla Hyde, Joyce Tatum, Freeda Jones, Orise Fontaine, Christine Killen, Tuffy Hudson Back Row: Doug Robertson, Sharon Wright,

Waylon Wright, Wayne Brown, Carl Neidert, Ken Harrison, Joanne Barnett, Carl Compton


Front Row: Chris Weldon, John Brock, Joe Vandyke Back Row: Phillip Skipworth, John Powell, James Coleman, Bryan McIntyre

Front Row: Jessica Motes, Brenda Hakenwerth, Joan Helms, Kim Higginbotham, Joyce Cook Back Row: Bobby Smith, Lyndsey Borden, Okima Horrison, Sheikia Pointer, Amanda White, Stacy Behel, Jessica Minor

CHAPLAINS

COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION

The Florence Police Department

Chaplain Program was started in 2007

to provide the members of the police

department with counseling and spiri-

tual support in times of Crisis. All of

the chaplains are local ministers in the

community and each is assigned to dif-

ferent divisions to provide support. The

chaplains are a welcomed addition to

the department.

The Communications Division is the

nerve center of the city’s emergency

services, and receive all calls for police

service. They receive and dispatch over

40,000 requests for police service annu-

ally. The Division provides radio com-

munication for the police, and conduct

computer searches for wanted fugi-

tives, stolen property and other infor-

mation through the National Crime

Information Center and Alabama

Criminal Justice Information Center.


Services Division is responsible for the

upkeep of all vehicles used by the

Police Department., including patrol

cars, specialty vehicles, unmarked cars

and equipment. They are also respon-

sible for facilities maintenance, which

includes the police building, storage

facilities and any other property used

by the department. The Captain and

Sergeant are also responsible for put-

ting out bids for new equipment each

year, when it comes to buying cars,

equipment and any other items needed

to keep the department running effi-

ciently.

WARRANT OFFICER

The police department’s warrant officer

has many responsibilities in the depart-

ment. The main focus is the serving

of city warrants. In 2008 he served

and cleared over 1900 outstand-

ing warrants. Besides handling

warrants the warrant offi-

cer is Municipal Court

Bailiff, serves subpoe-

nas, and makes juvenile

transports to juvenile

court and to the juve-

nile detention center.

Mickey Hines

Capt. Marty Dodd

Lonnie Mitchell

Sgt. Jack Watkins

Terry Rhea

SERVICES DIVISION


TRAINING CENTER


2008 NEW EMPLOYEES

2008 AWARD RECIPIENTS

Capt. Ron Tyler

SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR

John Hamm

CHIEF’S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Chris Faust

DISPATCHER OF THE YEAR

Sgt. Greg Cobb

MEDAL OF VALOR

Dale Oldham

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Chuck Hearn

MEDAL OF VALOR

Janice Johnson

PURPLE HEART

Craig Blasingame

OFFICER OF THE YEAR

VOLUNTEERS OFTHE YEAR

Sharon & Waylon Wright

COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER OF THE YEAR

Sgt. Dennis Patterson

LIFE SAVING MEDALS

Matt Minor Shane Blalock Danny Hines Robbie Talcott Daniel McIntyre Craig Blasingame Brian Lipe Ryan Kelly Ira Davis

POLICE OFFICERS:

Christopher Atencio Maxwell Dotson Kevin Garner Shannon Harris Ryan Kelly Zachery Maxwell Eric Pollard Eric Staley Tim Tankersley

CLERICAL EMPLOYEES:

Abby Williams

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS:

Vicki Carmichiel Shanna Curtis Okima S. Horrison Sheikia N. Pointer

PHOTONOT

AVAILABLE


2008 PROMOTIONS

Watkins, Jackey

Sergeant

Olive, Shannon

Lieutenant

Lee, Randy

Sergeant

Fleming, Ryan

Sergeant

Shaddix, Timothy Mark

Deputy Chief

England, Randy

Captain

Tyler, Ron

Captain

Cobb, Greg

Sergeant

Richey, Robert

Lieutenant


Police Officers’ Prayer to Archangel St. Michael, the Patron

Saint of Law Enforcement

Dear Saint Michael —

Your name means, “Who is Like a God,”

and it indicates that You remained faithful

when others rebelled against God.

Help the police officers of our day who strive to stem

the rebellion and evil that are rampant on all sides.

Keep them faithful to their God as well as

to their country and their fellow human beings.

Amen.


2008 AT A GLANCE


Four City of Florence Police Officers have had their lives taken from them while they served the citizens of Florence, the most recent in 2007. Let us never forget the unselfishness, bravery and

sacrifice they and their families have made. We honor and pay tribute to our fallen brothers.

Leo GloverMay 23, 1974

Steven L. TicerMay 12, 1988

Doyce Whitehead

June 20, 1992

David YoungMay 3, 2007


Protect Yourselffrom Violent Crime!

Do you ever have the feeling you are being watched when you are shopping or jogging? You might be.

Statistics suggest that no one is immune to crime. We face a 99 percent chance of falling victim to crime. The odds are four out of five that we will be a victim

of violence whether a simple assault or armed robbery.

The odds can be changed!

Safety tips for Work...• Lock your car.

• If you are the last to leave or work-ing late, lock the door, set the alarm and notify security.

• If you are working late or reporting early, meet another employee or ride together.

• Check the identification of any strangers asking for information, or delivery and repair persons wanting to enter areas restricted to em-ployees. Don’t be afraid to call for verification.

• Know the location of fire exits.

• Report broken lights in stairwells, outside and in hallways.

• Never give our telephone numbers to your co-workers.

• Keep your purse near or locked up. Many thieves enter buildings to steal without anyone’s knowledge - until it is too late.

• Never leave cash or other valuables laying on a desk.

• Keep track of keys. Store keys in a

secure place and hand out to autho-

rized personnel only.

• Know the telephone numbers for

security, police and fire departments.

• Be discreet. Don’t advertise social,

travel and vacation plans or sick

leave of your co-workers or yourself

to strangers.

• Don’t get in elevators with people

who look out of place. Report such

individuals to security or to the

police.

• Don’t use stairs alone. Stairwells

can be traps! Never enter a stairwell

to escape a potential attacker. Go

where there are other people.

• Be extra careful when using rest-

rooms in isolated areas or those that

are poorly lighted.

• If you bank for your business, vary

your route and times of departure.

Conceal the bank deposit bag.

Understanding how, when and where crimes occur reduces the risk of becoming a victim.For example, violent personal crimes usually occur after dark. Assaults, both simple and aggravated, are more likely to occur from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Rape and other sexual assaults are twice as likely to occur during these same hours. Approximately 44% of robberies hap-pen between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.• Be alert and aware of your sur-roundings.• Avoid high crime areas• Don’t let alcohol or drugs cloud your judgement• Trust your judgement - if you feel uneasy, leave!


Protecting your Home

Sweet Home!

Do you know what to do to make your house safe from

burglary? You can help protect your family, home

and possessions by investing a small amount of time and money. Most burglars will spend no longer than 60

seconds trying to break into your home.

When implementing these or other crime prevention tips, always keep your own safety in mind. Do not implement anything that may hinder or prevent your ability to escape dangerous or hazardous situations. Your family should be aware of safety features and know how to quickly overcome them if they need to get our or get away in an emergency.

HOUSE NUMBERS

In an emergency, can firefighters, law enforcement or ambulance drivers find your home quickly and easily?Place permanent numbers, no less than 3” in height, on both the front and rear of the residence designating the official post office address. Also, paint-ing reflective house numbers on the curb will help emergency vehicles find your home.

FENCES

Do you have a privacy fence obstruct-ing the view of your backyard? Are your fence rails creating easy entry into your backyard? Is your gate secure?By providing concealment, privacy fenc-ing is a disadvantage to home security. You can eliminate this disadvantage by:

• Removing every other slat to allow greater visibility

• Planting hostile-type plants to cover the outside of the fence, such as roses

with large thorns

• Padlocking your gate so that entry is more difficult

• When building a fence, have the cross rails placed inside.

LIGHTING

Can a prowler, burglar or vandal hide in the shadows of the night around your home?One of the best sources of cost-effective protection around your home is adequate exterior lighting. Lighting has proven to be an effective deterrent against crime. Effective lighting should be:

• Placed to illuminate as many sides of the house as possible

• Placed under the eaves of the house or shielded with a protective covering to prevent tampering

• Kept on during all nighttime hours

LANDSCAPING

What about your trees, shrubs and landscaping? Could a potential crimi-nal hide there?The security of your home depends upon visibility. Your home should maintain its visibility so that neighbors and pa-trols can watch for illegal activity. Or-namental plant growth should be kept well trimmed, especially around doors and windows where a person could hide while breaking in to your home.

While planting your landscaping, you might consider discouraging intruders from window areas by planting prickly plants such as roses, some hollies, pyra-cantha, etc.

Investing in inexpensive landscape light-ing will not only provide light to hidden areas or serve as path lighting for indi-viduals who are visiting, but also as an attractive landscaping feature.

EXTERIOR DOORS

Can you see who is outside before you open the door?Install a wide angle viewer (peephole) in the door. This will let you know who is at the door. A 190-degree view peep-hole is recommended.

Is the door solid core? Is it metal? Is it cracking or splitting? How thick is it?Not only your front door, but all of

your exterior doors and the door be-tween your house and garage should be of solid core construction or heavy gauge metal with a minimum thickness of 1-3/8”. A thinner doors may give if kicked. If your door is panel-type, make sure joints and panels are well glued, not split or rotten.

Are your French or double doors se-cure?One of the doors must be inactive. You can accomplish this by installing flush bolts at the top and bottom of the door secured into metal strike plates. A dead-bolt should be on the active door.

LOCKS

Do you just have the old-fashioned lock-in-the-knob type?This type of lock offers you privacy and convenience but not security. In fact, many can be opened by simply using a credit card or screwdriver. For safety you need a secure lock. A deadbolt lock is recommended with the following features:

Single cylinderA minimum 1” bolt throwA rotating cylinder guard

A five pin tumblerA steel interlocking screw

Economizing on padlocks will not pro-tect you adequately. Large bolt cutters or pry bars are commonly used to break padlocks. Minimum standards for an exterior padlock are:

Case hardened steel with a 9/32” shackle

Locking mechanism in both the heel and toe.

Florence, AlAbAmABuilding the Future. Preserving the Past.

In case of emergency, dial 911

256-760-6500www.florencepd.org

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