David Quillin, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

Individuals who are interested in a career in law enforcement are encouraged to apply. All applicants must either already be at least 21 years of age or be turning 21 by no later than April 24, 2017 (six months after the test date). 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:

https://www.governmentjobs.com/Careers/Kingsport

Following the September 24th 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 the morning of October 24, 2017. The written examination will be administered at the Civic Auditorium, located at 1550 Fort Henry Drive in Kingsport.

While not a requirement, applicants are strongly encouraged to invest in the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) “Entry-Level Police” study guide or “Police Study Guide Bundle” to assist them in preparing for this examination. These study guides are currently priced very reasonably at $20 and $30 respectively and are available for purchase at the following link:

http://www.publicsafetycompass.com

Applicants who successfully pass the written examination will advance forward to a physical agility evaluation the same afternoon. The physical agility evaluation will consist of a timed one-mile run and a timed roughly one-quarter-mile obstacle course designed to measure fitness, strength, agility, and endurance as related to the duties of a Police Officer.

Applicants are also strongly encouraged to participate in a voluntary practice session for the physical agility evaluation. This session will take place on October 10, 2017 at 1:00 PM (two weeks prior to the actual test date) at Domtar Park, located at 1414 Riverport Road in Kingsport. Individuals must have an application on file and sign a waiver in order to be eligible to participate in this practice session.

A series of interviews will follow the written examination and physical agility evaluation, beginning with an interview panel and ultimately an interview with the Chief of Police, to further vet the top performing candidates and determine the final selections.

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.

A short highlight video of the Kingsport Police Department has been made available for viewing on the K.P.D. YouTube channel via the following link:

https://youtu.be/UMgNSEFmCTA

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.

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

David Quillin, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

David Quillin, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is Tennessee’s advocate for traffic safety. The THSO partners with community advocates and law enforcement agencies across the state to reduce impaired-driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Booze It & Lose It is Tennessee’s statewide campaign that runs from August 18, 2017 through September 4, 2017, coinciding with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Driving under the influence (DUI), also known as driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, or impaired driving, is the crime of driving a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs, including those prescribed by physicians. In Tennessee, a drunk driver’s level of intoxication is typically determined by the measurement of blood alcohol content (BAC). A BAC measurement of 0.08% defines the criminal offense.

Being convicted of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol can impact your life in many ways, including loss of employment, prevention of employment in certain jobs, higher insurance rates, serious financial setbacks, personal and family embarrassment, and incarceration.

This year, the Kingsport Police Department is partnering with both the THSO and NHTSA to stop drunk drivers and help save lives. During the high-visibility state and national enforcement campaigns, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways.

Statistics show a frightening trend in drunk driving. According to NHTSA, 10,265 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2015, an increase from the 9,967 people killed in 2014. On average, 10,000 people were killed each year from 2011 to 2015—one person killed every 51 minutes in 2015. That’s the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing each year, with no survivors. This is why the Kingsport Police Department is working with THSO and NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to Labor Day festivities, remember: Booze It & Lose It, so either Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Over the Labor Day holiday period in 2015, there were 460 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty percent of those fatal crashes involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). Of those alcohol-related fatal crashes, one third (33%) involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (23%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the illegal limit (.15+ BAC). Nighttime is the most dangerous time to be out on the roads: During the 2015 Labor Day holiday period, 78 percent of drunk-driving crash fatalities occurred between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. – as compared to half of all drunk-driving crash fatalities throughout the rest of the year.

The Kingsport Police Department is stressing the dangers of driving impaired to our community. Drunk driving is a massive problem in the United States, with more than 10,000 people dying annually. If you’re out on the roads and you see someone driving drunk, please report it. You could help save a life.

The Kingsport Police Department, THSO, and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely. Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior. It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. That’s why, throughout the year, but especially during this Labor Day holiday, there will be zero tolerance for drunk driving. There are just no excuses.

The Kingsport Police Department recommends safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve only had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely.
• Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app available on Google Play for Android devices and Apple’s iTunes Store for IOS devices. SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
• Call a cab or a friend. Use community sober ride programs if available.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the Kingsport Police Department.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

The Kingsport Police Department continues to stress that Tennessee D.U.I. laws apply not just to alcohol, but to any substance that impairs the ability to drive, including illegal drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, as well as prescription drugs, even if they are prescribed by a physician.

For more information about the THSO, visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.

For more information about NHTSA’s impaired driving prevention programs, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton

David Quillin, Chief of Police

200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

While the officers were still en route, the alarm company updated dispatchers that they were monitoring the store’s surveillance cameras and could see three suspects inside the store, who then fled on foot just prior to the officers’ arrival.

A thorough search of the surrounding area was conducted, to include the use of a Police K-9 for tracking, but it ultimately proved unsuccessful. Detectives from the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division responded with their subsequent investigation revealing the following:

Three unidentified suspects, clad in dark clothing from head to toe to include masks and gloves to conceal their identities, entered the store by shattering an exterior window with a large rock. Once inside, part of the store was ransacked; however, they appeared to have focused their attention on a secure storage room.

The suspects spent one solid minute prying on and kicking at the storage room door. Their attempts at breaching the door were unsuccessful, so they fled the store empty-handed.

As previously mentioned, the entire incident was captured on store surveillance video, and a photo of the burglars inside the business has been included in this release. A clip of the actual video has been made available for viewing on the K.P.D. YouTube Channel via the link below:

https://youtu.be/pE8s-4ljmTY

Anyone who can help identify these suspects or provide any additional information which may assist with this investigation is asked to contact Detectives at 423-229-9429 or call Kingsport Central Dispatch at 423-246-9111.

Alternatively, if an individual who is able to supply information related to this or any other case wishes not to be identified, tips can be submitted anonymously via online “Citizen Feedback” forms available at the following link:

https://www.kingsporttn.gov/city-services/police-department/contact-us

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit

423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

ThomasMPatton