CITY OF LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENT CHIEF FRANK L. HARTSELL

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1 CITY OF LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENT CHIEF FRANK L. HARTSELL 186 RAY KENNEDY DRIVE PO BOX 190 LOCUST, NC (704) COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER November 2014 Volume 3 Edition 11

2 LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER EDITOR/AUTHOR Officer Jeff B. Shew, Locust Police Department INQUIRIES/INFORMATION CONTACT: OFFICER SHEW AT Here is the November 2014 edition of your Locust Police Department Community Newsletter. Winter weather has arrived making for some cold nightshift patrols for me and our other officers. We re barreling on toward the always joyous and busy holiday season as well as the annual Locust Christmas parade. November has been pleasant so far all-around. One week this month I was able to spend with my wife in Florida at the happiest place on earth. As much fun as we had though I really think a better tag-line would be the happiest (and most exhausting) place on earth. There s so much to do and see (and in my case eat). It can be a bit overwhelming, but certainly some great memories, some of which I am paying for now having to fit back in my uniform that is just a bit tighter than it was before the great food binge of I enclosed a photo from our trip below from earlier in the week when we were both a bit more rested: This month I ve included a reminder about the parade and a couple of other tid-bits of news to report. Other than that it has been business as usual for us in this fine city and I ve got all the stats. Let s get rolling

3 LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENTAL STATS AND SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 2014 Department stats for the month of October 2014 are found at the end of the newsletter. There were 160 reported total incident types/offenses for October resulting in 148 completed incident reports. These numbers were up just barely from September s numbers, and are still well within the typical monthly average for Locust. Again, medical or fire calls where we assist and alarm activation calls were the more elevated numbers for the month. These all proved to be noncriminal events. 14 disturbances were reported for the month as well however these can sometimes be even for the most minor of disagreements. All the other statistics for the month were in the typical range we see so no specific incidents of concern stand out yet again. In other statistics, 1,542 businesses and neighborhood checks were logged in October for a daily average of almost arrest charges were made for the month as well as one non-criminal detainer. Of those charges, four were on offenses related to not showing up for court dates and three were for driving while impaired. Citation charges issued were 92 with 50 of those coming from speeding related offenses. A whopping 134 traffic stops were also made that resulted in warnings issued. Finally, the traffic crash total for the month was again in double digits with 10 reported. Six of these crashes occurred in Locust business parking lots however which normally result in minor damage and little to no injury. From The Files Of The Locust Police Department Recent cases or arrests made by or involving the Locust Police Department: Fugitive Who Removed Monitoring Device Apprehended By Locust Police In the late evening hours of October 8 th, a vehicle was stopped near the Western Hills subdivision by the North Carolina Highway Patrol. Investigation during the stop conducted by the Highway Patrol officer and officers from the Locust Police Department resulted in an arrest for impaired driving as well as the discovery of marijuana inside the vehicle. An ankle monitoring device typically used in probation and house arrest scenarios was also found inside the vehicle. Investigation revealed that Mr. Brandon Gurganus of Matthews had removed the device and discarded it in the vehicle. Further investigation by Locust officers also determined that Mr. Gurganus was attempting to hide in the Western Hills sub-division. After subsequent interviews of involved individuals, several houses along Danita Drive became the focus of the investigation. Locust officers searched the area throughout the early morning

4 hours of October 9 th, and Mr. Gurganus was found in the backyard area of a Danita Drive address attempting to evade capture. Mr. Gurganus was apprehended without further incident by Locust officers. Mr. Gurganus was transported to Stanly County Jail to await pick-up by proper authorities. Locust crime briefs are posted regularly on the Locust Police Department website. ANNUAL LOCUST CHRISTMAS PARADE REMINDER Photo Credit: The Locust Patch On Saturday November 29 th, the West Stanly Lion s Club will once again present an event that has become an annual tradition in Locust; the Locust Christmas Parade. The parade will begin at 3 pm with the same parade route that has been used for several years; the parade beginning at Renee Ford Road onto West Main Street and into the Locust Town Center on Ray Kennedy Drive. A time has not been specified for the approximate duration of the parade. We would like to remind everyone that the Locust Police Department will likely shut down these areas to non-parade traffic at around 2:45-2:50. This means that east and west bound travel on West Main Street (NC 24-27) between the Central Avenue (NC 200)/Main Street (NC 24-27) intersection and Renee Ford Road will be unavailable also including access to any businesses by vehicle along this stretch. In addition, once parade areas are shut down for non-parade traffic, the Locust Town Center will also be shut down to non-parade vehicle traffic on Ray Kennedy Drive and Market Street.

5 Everyone please make alternate route arrangements if traveling during the parade time period, and if you plan to attend please arrive before parade areas are shut down to vehicle traffic. We hope everyone enjoys this traditional event that kicks off the Christmas season in Locust! NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH NEWS Re-connecting With The Meadowcreek Village Neighborhood Watch At the end of October I was asked to attend a meeting of the Meadowcreek Village Homeowner s Association and residents of the community. I was impressed by the unity the community appeared to share as well as a genuine care and concern about the health and status of their community. It reminded me of the common sentiment shared by the majority of Locust residents as well as members of our department, sincere concern for our city and everyone that lives in it. I knew that Meadowcreek Village has a community watch program in place that was started with the assistance of the Locust Police Department. I also knew that there had been little contact with the program for quite a while. I reminded board members at the meeting that the activity level of a community watch program is left to the community itself, meaning that our department will help facilitate the level of activity the watch program wishes to pursue, but our department does not dictate the direction of the watch program. If a watch program wishes to have a monthly meeting or neighborhood citizen patrol we will assist, but more times than not a watch program is most useful in providing a department point of contact for members to address specific law enforcement concerns about their community. I provided community President Mike DeLuca my contact information for future reference, and I am now providing the community monthly with an incident report summary specific to their neighborhood. We also recently had a good network forum related to solicitors in their neighborhood.

6 I d like to commend the Meadowcreek Village community for their genuine concern for their neighborhood and their pro-active efforts in keeping their neighborhood safe. If you would like more information about establishing a neighborhood watch program in your community or activity options for an existing neighborhood watch, please me at jbslpd@gmail.com. To keep this city a wonderful place to live, work, and play! we are ALL in this together! ELECTION CONGRATULATIONS Although we send our congratulations to ALL newly elected Stanly County officials and those that were re-elected, we d like to specifically congratulate Locust s own Scott Efird and Joseph Burleson who were both elected as Stanly County Commissioners. Mr. Efird is the former Mayor of Locust and currently the city s planning and zoning director. Mr. Burleson is a real estate agent with Whitley Realty located in the Locust Town Center. Congratulations and best of luck to you both! I would also like to congratulate Stanly County s new Sheriff, George T. Burris. George was one of the first officers I met when I moved to the Stanly County area when he was a lieutenant with the Oakboro Police Department. Being elected Sheriff is something he has worked extremely hard for the last six years or so and is a great accomplishment for him after suffering an injury that ended his career as a road officer while on duty several years ago. He has a huge task in front of him but I am positive he will give it 110%. Congratulations Sheriff G.T. Burris! We would also like to give our sincere appreciation to outgoing Sheriff Rick Burris for the time that he put in and served. His deputies have always been there for us when we have needed them and they always have provided great support. Thank you for all of your years of service Sheriff Burris! All of us at the Locust Police Department wish you continued success and safety. God bless all of you; take care of yourselves and each other. (October 2014 Stats Follow Next Page)

7 LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENT CRIME STATISTICS OCTOBER 2014 INCIDENTS/OFFENSES Note Total incident reports generated number will be lower than number of offenses/incidents listed. This is due to there being multiple offenses within one report on some occasions. Incident reports are generally documented when any interaction with the public or an enforcement action is made on a dispatched call. Escorts Provided (General, Business Closing, Child Custody Exchange, Funeral) 32 Assist EMS/Fire Department 21 Alarm Calls (Business, Residential) 15 Disturbances (General, Domestic) 14 Investigation Calls (General, 911 Hang-Ups, Suicide Threats, Open Doors, Etc.) 12 Larceny From Business (Misdemeanor, Felony, Concealment) 11 Mutual Aid Given (Help Given To Other Agencies) 9 Suspicious Activity (Activities, Vehicles, Persons) 9 Calls For Service (Various Community Service Reasons, Animal Complaints, Etc.) 7 Vehicle Traffic Violations (Resulting In Other Charges, Arrests, Vehicle Towed, Etc.) 7 Arrest Warrants/Processes Served (Failure To Appear, Subpoenas Etc.) 6 Damage To Property Calls (Residential, Business, Vehicle, Minor Vehicle Crashes) 3 Harassment (Phone Calls, Communicating Threats, Etc.) 3 Assaults (Simple, Affray, Domestic, Etc.) 2 Counterfeiting/Fraud (Forgery, Obtain By False Pretense, Identity Theft, Etc.) 2 Driving While Impaired (Alcohol, Illegal Substances, Provisional, Drive After Consuming, Etc.) 2 Alcohol Charges (All Other) 1 B& E/Larceny Residence Or From Person (Attempt, Misdemeanor, Felony, Larceny After B&E) 1 City Ordinance Violation Calls/Investigations 1 Death Investigation (Non-Criminal, Unattended Death, Suicide, Etc.) 1 Vandalism (Defacement, Arson, Etc.) 1 Assist Motorist (Stranded, Keys Locked In Vehicle, Tire, Etc.) 0 Direct/Serious Larceny From Business/Person (Common Law, Armed Robbery, Etc.) 0 Drug Offenses (Citations, Arrests) 0 Illegal Activity (Resist, Delay, Obstruct, Vehicle Pursuits, All Other) 0 Juvenile Violations (Juvenile Offenses, Contributing To Delinquency, Etc.) 0 Larceny From/Of Vehicle (Misdemeanor, Felony, B&E, Motor Vehicle Theft, Etc.) 0 Missing Persons (Reported, Found) 0 Property Calls (Lost, Found) 0 Sex Offenses (Attempted Or Completed Rape, Indecent Liberties, Crimes Against Nature, Etc.) 0 Trespassing (1 st, 2 nd Degree, Domestic Etc.) 0 Weapons Offenses (Unlawful Carry Concealed, Possession Firearm By Felon, Etc.) 0 TOTAL OFFENSES 160 INCIDENT REPORTS GENERATED 148 AVERAGE DAILY INCIDENT REPORTS DOCUMENTED 4.8

8 Business Checks 863 Neighborhood Checks 674 Suspicious Vehicles 4 House Checks 1 AREA PATROLS/CHECKS TOTAL AREA/SECURITY CHECKS 1542 DAILY AREA/SECURITY CHECKS AVERAGE 49.7 Failure To Appear 4 Driving While Impaired 3 Probation Violation 3 Assault And Battery 2 Felony Larceny 2 Assault With A Deadly Weapon 1 Driving While License Revoked 1 Obtain Controlled Substance By Fraud 1 Trafficking Opium/Heroin 1 ARRESTS/OFFENSE CHARGES/COUNTS TOTAL ARREST CHARGES 18 (+1 Non-Criminal Detainer) DAILY JAIL COMMIT ARREST CHARGES AVERAGE 0.6 CITATIONS Speeding 45 Expired Registration 13 Speeding In School Zone 5 Driving While License Revoked/Aid & Abet DWLR 3 Misdemeanor Larceny 3 No Operator s License 3 Driving While Impaired 2 Following Too Close 2 Stop Light/Stop Sign Violations 2 Vehicle Insurance Violations 2 Window Tint Violation 2 Cancelled/Revoked Registration 1 Careless/Reckless Driving 1 Child Restraint Violation 1 Consume Alcohol Underage 1 Fail To Yield 1 Lane Violations 1 License Violations 1 Open Container Alcohol In Vehicle 1 Passenger Seat Belt Violations 1 Simple Affray 1 Vehicle Inspection Violations 1 Vehicle Not Properly Registered 1

9 TOTAL 92 DAILY CITATION CHARGES ISSUED AVERAGE 3.0 DOCUMENTED TRAFFIC STOPS WITH WARNINGS ISSUED 134 Crashes Reported 10 TRAFFIC CRASHES Street Or Highway North Central Avenue Near Mission Church Road (Deer) - In Front Of 404 Renee Ford Road - West Main Street In Front Of 1876 West Main Street - West Main Street In Front Of 1878 West Main Street Parking Lot (Public Vehicular Area) West Main Street (Food Lion) A West Main Street (Dominos) West Main Street (Tailgators) West Main Street (Wal-Mart) West Main Street (McDonalds) Red Bridge Boulevard (Froogles) TOTALS TOTAL MONTHLY DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES (INCIDENTS/INVESTIGATIONS, CHARGES, CITATIONS, WARNINGS, AREA CHECKS, TRAFFIC CRASHES) 1957* *EXCLUDED DISPATCHED CALLS THAT DO NOT RESULT IN A REPORT GENERATED* MONTHLY DAILY ACTIVITIES AVERAGE *EXCLUDING ABOVE* 63.1