Chipley Police Chief Scott Thompson was the guest speaker at last Tuesday night’s meeting of the Chipley Kiwanis Club Satellite meeting hosted on the third Tuesday of each month at Skins & Bubba’s Restaurant on Hwy 77 in Chipley.
Club President Brandon Lovering welcomed club members and guests to the meeting and reminded them of the following upcoming events:
- Swing Sale – A porch swing has been donated by to raise funds for the 2018 Washington-Holmes Relay for Life. Tickets are on sale for $5 each, or 5 for $20 from any member of the Kiwanis Club.
- Golf Tournament – June 8th at the Sunny Hills Golf Club. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and Tee Off is set for 9:30 a.m. There will be cash prizes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.
- Watermelon Festival – The 2018 Festival is set for June 22nd-23rd at Pals Park in Chipley.
Scott Thompson was warmly welcomed when it came his time to speak.
Noting that the 12-member Chipley Police Department “stays busy”, Thomas was proud to report that during 2017 the department registered a 76 percent clearance rate in all categories.
While proud of the clearance rate, Thompson said there is more that residents can do to protect their belongings including the following:
- Take photos was your electronics and household items, and keep them in a safe place.
- Record all serial numbers – because electronics look alike.
- Make copies of all completed registration cards before you mail them off.
- Mark your belongings in some way to show your ownership.
Asked about having alarms on homes and businesses, Thompson said alarms are a good thing, but then pointed out that they don’t always work and related a story about a local business where the alarm malfunctioned. He added, “If you are going to have an alarm have an audible one.”
While stressing the need for residents to take steps to protect their belongings, Thompson referred to the Neighborhood Watch program that has proven to be effective in several areas of Chipley. He said anyone interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch program in their area can contact his office.