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   The mission of the Fairhope Police Department is to work in partnership with the residents and businesses of the community to provide a safe and secure environment through the delivery of fair and impartial police services, proactive problem solving, and increased community partnerships.

 

Fairhope Police and Project Lifesaver

There are stories that too often have tragic endings. An elderly person suffering from dementia wanders away from home and is lost despite frantic search efforts by family, friends, and law enforcement. A new initiative by the Fairhope Police Department could help provide happier endings to these stories.

"Cpl. Shane Nolte and I were working on ideas that would help these people, when we learned of a program by the National Sheriff’s Association called Project Lifesaver," said Fairhope Police Chief Chris Browning. "Baldwin County Sheriff Jimmy Johnson adapted the program for Baldwin County, but because our county is so large, it’s difficult to cover the whole area. We want to make this a Fairhope project so that we can help people who need this assistance within our police jurisdiction."

Project Lifesaver works with two pieces of technology: a small, battery-operated radio transmitter that is worn like a wristwatch and a set of three radio receivers. When a person is reported missing, the police can set up three receivers and accurately pinpoint the location of the individual using the signal from the transmitter. "It’s not like a cell phone transmission. There are no dead spots," Browning explained. "Of course, this doesn’t guarantee a person’s safety, but it is a big help. There is documented evidence that a person wearing this device can be located within 30 minutes."

Start up costs are minimal, said Nolte. "The transmitters cost about $275 each and the receivers are $2,600 each. The battery, which needs to be replaced every 30 days, costs $10. After a person is signed up for the program, we will go out every 30 days to check the transmitter and change the battery. The only cost to the individual is for the battery, but we will absorb that cost if the person can’t afford it."

Mercy Medical is partnering with the FPD and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department to help raise funds and handle the financial end of the project.

Currently, there are 11 Fairhope residents taking part in Project Lifesaver (using the countywide system). "The program is designed for the elderly with dementia, but it can be used for any age person, perhaps a child with Down’s Syndrome, who might be in danger of wandering off and getting lost," said Nolte. "It’s great that the county is offering this, but we really want to have the program in Fairhope because we can cover our own area more efficiently."

For more information on Fairhope’s Project Lifesaver, contact the Fairhope Police Departmentat 928-2385 orMercy Medical at (251) 625-2555.

 

There’s a new team on the streets of Fairhope

Police officer David Hall and his K-9 partner Villian, a three-year-old German Shepherd, recently began work with the Fairhope Police Department. Hall and Villian previously worked for the Foley Police.

“I was with the police in Foley for about six and a half years and in K-9 patrol for four years, working first with a dog trained in narcotic search,” said Hall. I wanted a dog that would be dual-purpose, to work narcotics and also patrol and tracking, so I got Villian myself when he was just over a year old.”

Hall, who spent three weeks at a police dog training center with his first dog, took on all the training for Villian. “It was some trial and error, but he’s a super dog and a quick learner. We’ve also trained together at many different workshops and conferences, and we have hundreds of hours of experience working together.”

The work has paid off. Hall and Villian have won numerous awards. Most recently, at a competition with nearly 60 police dogs from police departments in Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana, Villian came in 6th overall.

In Fairhope, Hall is using Villian in a number of ways. “We’ve been to the schools to help with their drug enforcement programs, we’ve worked several narcotic and evidence searches, and taken part in some apprehensions. Villian is also trained to track and can be used to search for a missing elderly person or child.”

Hall enjoys showing off Villian’s skills and is available for demonstrations for clubs and civic organizations. “I love showing the public just what Villian can do,” he said. For more information, contact Officer Hall at the Fairhope Police Department at 928-2385.

 

He’s got his Mojo working!
 
The Fairhope Police Department now has two K-9 teams working patrol. Officer John Hamrick and his K-9 partner Mojo, a two and a half year old German Shepherd Dog, came to Fairhope in November from the Gulf Shores Police Department; they join Officer David Hall and his partner, Villian.
 
“It’s great having two teams because they can work alternate shifts,” said Lt. Steve Griffis. “Officer Hamrick is experienced in K-9 work, and we’re glad to have him. He and Hall and their dogs work well together.”
 
Hamrick has been a police officer for ten years and a K-9 officer for seven. His first dog, Vim, retired after five years on the Gulf Shores force. “I got Mojo young. He was a ‘green’ dog, meaning that he hadn’t had any training. With my first dog, I took a 500-hour handler’s course with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and then about 40 hours of additional courses every year with the Escambia (Florida) County Sheriff’s Department. The courses train us to train our dogs, so I was able to train Mojo when I got him.” Hamrick and Hall and their dogs work on their training every week.
 
Mojo, who comes from a long line of dogs used in law enforcement, was born in the Czech Republic and brought to this country as a pup by a police dog vendor in Kentucky. “My first dog was from Hungary,” Hamrick said. “Police dogs from Europe are really good. They’ve been using dogs in law enforcement for years there, and the dogs have drive and ability for this kind of work bred into them.”
 
Like Fairhope’s other Police Dog, Mojo is a ‘dual purpose’ dog. “He’s been trained for both narcotics work and for patrol, including searching and tracking, which means that he’s not just good for criminal work, but also for searching for a lost child or other person.”
 
Both Officers Hall and Hamrick enjoy demonstrating their dogs’ skills. “We’ll take our dogs to schools, civic groups or other organizations and put them through their paces,” Hamrick said.
 
Even though they are a working team, it’s obvious that Hamrick and his partner have great affection for each other as well. “I’ve always been a dog lover, and I said that someday I’d figure out a way to get paid to play with dogs,” Hamrick said with a laugh.
 
For more information on Fairhope’s K-9 units or to schedule a demonstration, call the FPD at 928-2385.  
 

Fairhope's COPS Program

  “COPS”, or Community Oriented Policing, is a trend in law enforcement that is intended to re-establish the bonds between the police and the community that they serve.  It is a return to policing styles from over one hundred years ago.  In the early days of uniformed, organized police forces, officers were assigned to walk a designated beat.  They had first hand knowledge of the businesses, employees, and residents on their beat, and the citizens knew the officer by his first name. There was a real rapport.  Over the years, as police began using patrol cars to cover larger areas, that connection ended and citizens often became distrustful of the police.  It got to a point that if a citizen encountered an officer, it was in a negative situation.  Whether the citizen was getting a citation, being arrested, or reporting a crime, having a police officer around was rarely positive.  Now, through involvement in school programs, community meetings, and other civic activities, Fairhope police officers, along with officers worldwide, are moving back toward that idea of police as community resources.

Fairhope Merchant Fraud Watch Program

   Started in January, 2001, Fraud Watch consists of merchant-education and an alert system that can immediately notify the police and other merchants about possible frauds. Many times, a con artist or forger will hit numerous businesses in a particular town within just a few days, and then move on to another town.  Before anyone realizes what is happening, he has written potentially dozens of checks. 

   Fraud Watch works in several ways. Merchants are educated about what to look for and if a fraud takes place, they can immediately alert the police department which in turn immediately sends out faxes or letters to other merchants. When merchants are aware that a particular person is passing bad checks, they can contact the police immediately if the criminal tries to pass a check in their business.  This gives the police a chance to catch the con in action.  Merchants get a "fraud watch" sticker to place in their front window or near their cash register, and when a criminal sees that, he will likely just go on to someplace else. They don't want to get caught. It's like having a sign in your yard about your burglar alarm. Most criminals will see that and move to a house without an alarm.

   Fraud Watch works because it involves everyone. "When this type of fraud happens, it's the merchants who are left holding the bag," police said. "This program is available at no cost to the merchants, and it shows them that the police care about their business. In a sense, it lets us partner with the merchants to catch the criminals and protect the merchants' pocketbooks."

 

Traffic Controls

   Fairhope Police say that the speed monitor has been effective in slowing down traffic on most streets throughout town.  After the speed monitor has been in place on a particular street, police have noticed fewer cars exceeding the speed limit. "What we are trying to do is to alter people's driving without getting into their pockets," they said. "We hope that when people see how fast they are going, they will slow down on their own accord." In the first few months of the program, police mainly issued warning tickets to those exceeding the speed limit, but they have begun to issue regular tickets as well. The goal of the traffic program is not to give out tickets, but to get people's attention. 

 

Aggressive Drivers: Who are they?

• These high risk drivers climb into the anonymity of an automobile and take out their frustrations on anybody at any time.
• For them, frustration levels are high, and level of concern for fellow motorists is low.
• They run stop signs and red lights, speed, tailgate, weave in and out of traffic, pass on the right, make improper and unsafe lane changes, make hand and facial gestures, scream, honk, and flash their lights.
• They drive at speeds far in excess of the norm which causes them to: follow too closely, change lanes frequently and abruptly without notice (signals), pass on shoulder or unpaved portions of the roadway, and leer at and/or threaten verbally or through gestures, motorists who are thoughtless enough to be in front of them.

When confronted by aggressive drivers:

• First and foremost make every attempt to get out of their way.
• Put your pride in the back seat. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own in your travel lane.
• Wear your seat belt. It will hold you in your seat behind the wheel in case you need to make an abrupt driving maneuver and it will protect you in a crash.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Ignore gestures and refuse to return them.
• Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location, and if possible direction of travel.
• If you have a cellular phone, and can do it safely, you can report aggressive or impaired drivers to the Police Department by dialing 928-2385 or 911.
• If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash, stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for the Police to arrive, and report the driving behavior that you witnessed.

Sex Offenders Living in Fairhope

   Sex offenders who live in the Fairhope police jurisdiction must register with the City of Fairhope police department twice each year. If you wish view a list of sex offenders who live in Fairhope, or anywhere in the State of Alabama, please visit the Alabama Department of Public Safety’s web site at http://community.dps.state.al.us/ and you can see photos and maps providing that information.  This information is also on file with the Fairhope Police Department.  If you have questions, you may also call Sgt. James Davis or Cpl. Craig Sawyer at (251) 928-2385.

For more information on sex offenders in Alabama, Please visit www.dps.state.al.us

Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when an unauthorized person uses your name, social security number, date of birth, etc. to obtain credit or services without your consent.  These offenses are very difficult to pursue and specific financial documentation required can only be obtained by the crime victim.  If your credit was compromised in several different states, a federal agency may more appropriately investigate your case.

In cases involving identity theft, it is best to alert the bank concerning the fraud.  The banking institution will conduct an investigation in an attempt to determine where and how the credit application was completed.

In the meantime, it is suggested that you take the following steps to alert creditors and obtain documents:

Contact the following agencies to report the identity fraud:
The Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-438-4338  
Equifax at 1-800-525-6285
Experian at 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union at 1-800-680-7289
Social Security Administration at 1-800-269-0271

Request your accounts to be flagged and to notify you prior to approving any additional accounts.  You may also request to attach a statement of explanation to your file.

If bank accounts were established in your name or your checks were stolen contact:
      
CheckRite at 1-800-766-2748  
ChexSystems at 1-800-428-9623   
CrossCheck at 1-800-552-1900      
NPC at 1-800-526-5380
SCAN at 1-800-262-7771
TeleCheck at 1-800-710-9898

Notify your personal bank(s) and credit card companies:

Request copies of your bank statements, credit card account statements, credit card drafts and receipts, sales drafts, and the front/back of all checks.  The Police Department will require these documents to investigate your case.  Record the names and phone numbers of personnel with whom you speak.

Request copies of your credit bureau reports:

Only you can request a copy of your credit bureau history. The report will alert you to additional fraudulent accounts established with the use of your identity. If fraudulent accounts have been established in your name, you will need to contact all of the banks or credit card companies who have established fraudulent accounts. The Police Department will need copies of all of those statements, sales receipts, drafts, checks, affidavits of fraud, and credit bureau reports, record names and phone numbers.

When speaking with the credit card companies and banks request copies of the credit applications. It is very important to establish if the application was completed in person, by the mail, or over the Internet. If the application was completed by mail, try to determine from where it was mailed. If the application was completed over the Internet, try to determine if an email address or IP number was recorded during the application process.

To order a Credit Report:
• Equifax at 1-800-685-1111
• Experian at 1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion at 1-800-888-4213