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Kingsport Police Department
200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) |
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| NEWS RELEASE | |||
| SUBJECT: | Kingsport Police Lieutenant Graduates From Southeastern Leadership Academy | ||
| DATE: | October 25, 2016 | ||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | |||
| On October 21, 2016 Kingsport Police Department Lieutenant Sean Chambers graduated from the Southeastern Leadership Academy (SELA) in Chattanooga, TN. SELA is part of the University of Tennessee’s Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) Institute for Public Service.
The five week academy included interactive instruction from top law enforcement personnel. Each week focused around themed lessons which included 1) Foundations of Leadership/Leading Others, 2) Leadership Skills, 3) Building External Relationships, 4) Employee/Internal Matters, and 5) Critical Issues. The academy, which is targeted toward middle management, challenged participants to develop their leadership styles in order to become more effective and progressive leaders. Rather than five consecutive weeks, SELA is held one week a month over the course of five months. This training format assists law enforcement agencies in staffing by not having personnel absent for an extended period of time. It also aids the attendees in their ability to maintain a family life, as many of them have other commitments that would not allow them to be absent for extended periods. SELA is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Criminal Justice Programs and is supported by Award #23123, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice (USDOJ). Lieutenant Chambers received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from East Tennessee State University. He initially joined the Kingsport Police Department in 1993 as a Corrections Officer, and he was sworn in as a Police Officer the following year. He has served the department in a variety of roles, including Patrol Officer, Community Police, Vice Detective, and as Director of the 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force. He rose through the ranks while on Patrol, where he served as a Watch Commander. He was promoted to Lieutenant in February of 2013 and currently serves as the Criminal Investigations Division Commander. |
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| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
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Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit |
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This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.
This content has restricted access, please type the password below and get access.
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Kingsport Police Department
200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) |
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| NEWS RELEASE | |||
| SUBJECT: | Kingsport Police Offer Suggestions for a Safer Halloween Experience | ||
| DATE: | October 24, 2016 | ||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | |||
| With Halloween just a week away, the Kingsport Police Department would like to offer some suggestions to potentially afford area residents a safer and more peaceful haunted holiday experience.
K.P.D. Patrol Officers will be keeping an eye out on Halloween for anyone with mischief on their minds. Several laws and ordinances that are in force year around are particularly applicable to Halloween. Citizens are reminded that even on Halloween, it is unlawful in the City of Kingsport for anyone 16 years of age or older to wear a mask in public. Parents are urged to remind their teenagers that the State laws prohibiting vandalism also apply to juvenile acts such as rolling yards with toilet paper or throwing eggs at parked cars or houses. Even if no permanent damage is done, it is still considered criminal vandalism if the act causes the property owner an inconvenience by having to clean it up. It is also both illegal and extremely dangerous to throw any object at a moving vehicle. And those pranksters out there who find humor in frightening other people are urged to use some common sense and not take it too far. Remember that it is considered a criminal assault to intentionally or knowingly cause another person to reasonably fear imminent bodily injury or death. This typically would not apply if someone were to attend a haunted house or the like on their own volition. When it comes to candy collecting children, the Kingsport Police Department is a strong advocate of the “Trunk or Treat” and “Fall Festival” concepts as safer alternatives to traditional door-to-door Trick or Treating. Rather than having costumed kids wandering along dark neighborhood streets, knocking on the doors of complete strangers, Trunk or Treat and Fall Festival events are typically held in cordoned off and well-lit parking lots or enclosed venues and are sponsored by reputable business, churches, or other community organizations. Furthermore, most of these events also include food, games, activities, and/or costume contests. There will be several Trunk or Treats and Fall Festivals taking place throughout the Kingsport area in the coming days, giving kids multiple opportunities to sport their costumes and collect goodies. With that being said, on Monday, October 31, 2016, traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating is certainly an option. For those choosing this historically popular activity, the Kingsport Police Department offers the following tips: Walk Safely ● Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. ● Look left, right, and left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross. ● Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street. ● Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. ● Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings. ● Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars. Trick or Treat With an Adult ● Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, they should stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups. Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe ● Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. ● Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision. ● Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers. ● When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls. Drive Extra Safely on Halloween ● Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. ● Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. ● Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully. ● Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings. ● Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances. ● Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours. Inspect Candy Before Eating ● Don’t snack! Save the treats until you get home and can inspect the candy for loose or torn wrappers. Be cautious about keeping goodies that might pose as a choking hazard. |
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| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
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Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit |
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Kingsport Police Department
200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) |
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| NEWS RELEASE | |||
| SUBJECT: | The City of Kingsport is Currently Accepting Applications for Police Officer (Final Notice) | ||
| DATE: | October 24, 2016 | ||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | |||
| REMINDER: This is the final week to apply. The application deadline is this coming Sunday, October 30, 2016.
As previously released: The City of Kingsport Human Resources Department is currently accepting applications for the position of Police Officer. Applications will be accepted beginning October 1, 2016 until October 30, 2016. Individuals 18 years of age or older who are interested in a career in law enforcement are encouraged to apply. Applicants are asked to only submit their application once, as weeding out duplicate applications hampers efficiency. All applications must be submitted online using the following link: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/kingsport Following the October 30th deadline, all applicants will receive a confirmation email, as well as a letter by traditional mail, containing further instructions regarding the upcoming police applicant testing procedures. All applicants will undergo a series of assessments, beginning with a written examination on November 15, 2016. Applicants who successfully pass the written examination will advance forward to a physical agility evaluation and ultimately to a series of interviews. The Kingsport Police Department is hoping to hire at least eight new officers out of this testing process to fill existing vacancies. The current starting salary for Police Officer Trainee is $15.76 per hour or $32,791 annually. Applicants who are already certified law enforcement officers may be eligible for a salary adjustment to compensate for prior experience if certain criteria are met. Academy training and all essential equipment including uniforms, firearms, body armor, and duty gear are provided by the department. K.P.D. also issues take-home police cruisers to officers meeting specific residency requirements. City of Kingsport employee benefits include direct payroll deposit; paid vacation, holiday, and sick leave; employee life insurance; optional supplemental and dependent life insurance; long-term disability; health insurance; optional dental insurance; flexible spending accounts; ICMA RC 401 retirement; and optional ICMA RC 457 retirement. For additional information regarding the application process, please call the City of Kingsport Human Resources Department at 423-229-9401. For additional information regarding a law enforcement career at the Kingsport Police Department, please call the K.P.D. Public Information Officer at 423-229-9433. |
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| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
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Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit |
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Bill Donoho has been working for the City of Kingsport for 27 years. Donoho is a fireman, engineer, and paramedic. At a young age, Donoho was inspired to become a firefighter by his father, who helped start the first responder program in the state of Tennessee. Donoho got involved with the medical side, started taking fire training classes, and fell in love with the job.
Donoho risks his safety every day, but still has a strong love for his job. “My favorite part of the job is to be able to help people in need,” stated Donoho in a recent interview. While the scariest part, according to him, is most obviously going into a fire, but maybe not for the obvious reason. He described going into an active fire as nerve-racking because “you never know what is going to happen, you don’t know what’s there. Most of the time it’s like running in with blinders on. You never know what you’re going to run into.” Donoho states he’s had many close calls while on the job, and has even fallen through floorboards and had debris fall on top of him. Donoho, however, just considers this all part of his job, and easily accepts these risks every day that he goes to work.
While he enjoys his work, certain parts are harder than others. Donoho describes the toughest part of his job as the physical and mental fitness required to deal with the job itself. Firemen need to maintain their physical fitness to be able to do their job, but according to Donoho, the mental fitness aspect is even harder. He stated that, for many, the job doesn’t stop when they leave the station; many firefighters take the job home with them. Being a fireman requires not just physical strength, but mental strength as well.
Bill Donoho is a firefighter, engineer, and paramedic for the City of Kingsport, and he is a true hero within his community. Donoho works hard both on and off the clock to help make Kingsport a better, safer place. He not only values his job, but believes in the difference he is making to improve his community and to help those in need.
Sparky is Kingsport Fire Department’s robotic interactive tool for teaching fire and safety awareness. He’s been helping Public Information Officer Barry Brickey spread the word about fire safety to local schools, senior centers and community events.
Recently, Domtar donated $12,000 to the KFD to purchase a new Sparky! The new Sparky is an updated model of the previous one with one exception – he was painted to match the new ladder truck being debuted in January!