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Kingsport Police Department
Dale Phipps, Chief of Police 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department • www.KingsportPDBlog.com |
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| NEWS RELEASE | ||||
| SUBJECT: | K.P.D. Announces Annual “Summer of Safety” Traffic Enforcement Campaign | |||
| DATE: | July 6, 2022 | |||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | ||||
| The Kingsport Police Department is once again announcing its annual “Summer of Safety” traffic enforcement campaign. This initiative is necessitated by, and in response to, our own observations as well as numerous citizen expressed complaints and concerns regarding an increase in the more egregious traffic violations that both disturb the peace and threaten public safety.
From July 1 – September 30, 2022 all members of the Kingsport Police Department will be significantly increasing their enforcement efforts to address these violations, and focus on reducing and discouraging their occurrence, with a mission of minimizing crashes and the resultant injuries and fatalities. Some of the violations that K.P.D. will be prioritizing include but are not necessarily limited to: · Driving Under the Influence · Reckless Driving · Drag Racing · Aggressive Driving and Road Rage · Texting, Hands-Free Violations, and Other Forms of Distracted Driving · Excessive Speed · Child Restraint and Seat Belt Violations · Safety Equipment Violations · Excessive Noise (especially extremely loud modified exhaust systems) · Exhaust Systems Deliberately Modified to Blow Excessive Smoke While committing some of these violations will result in a simple (but costly) citation being issued to the offender, others could easily lead to jail confinement with expensive fines, court costs, and attorney fees. And while some may find these penalties harsh, if any one of these violations were left unchecked, the alternative could easily be a serious crash with critical injuries or lives lost. “Our ultimate goal is simple – for the sake of the safety of our city’s motoring public, we expect compliance with the traffic laws and ordinances of the State of Tennessee and the City of Kingsport. Anything less is unsafe and unacceptable,” said Dale Phipps, Chief of Police. “We owe this to the citizens of this great city, whom we have a sworn duty to protect and serve.” |
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| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
| Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX) ThomasMPatton |
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The Kingsport Public Library is a place where people can find information about any subject, and when they need answers about all things tech, they turn to Eric Erwin.
Eric is the Library Information Technology Technician. This job title means that he maintains the systems that make it possible for people to check out books and materials from the library. However, this is far from the full scope of Eric’s responsibilities, as his role amounts to more of a one-man tech wiz for libraries across the whole region.
“I definitely wear a lot of different hats in my role at the library,” says Erwin, “I am an administrator for the ILS (Integrated Library System) not just for our library, but for every library in the Organization of Watauga Libraries system.”
The system that Eric helps oversee includes the Johnson City Library, Bristol Public Library, and all five libraries inside of Sullivan County. With some of these libraries lacking full time IT staff, it is up to Eric to provide knowledge and info whenever and wherever he is needed.
Eric doesn’t just provide technology help to librarians, though. Twice a month, he puts on a program called “Ask the Library Geek” at the Kingsport Senior Center, where seniors can schedule appointments to get answers to any technology problem that they have, from issues using a new phone to basic tutorials on things like video calls or emails.
“Being able to help people in that way is a part of the job that I really enjoy,” says Erwin.
When asked about some of the new and exciting things going on at the library right now, Eric doesn’t hesitate before praising the library’s new Maker Space – a resource where artists and engineers alike can utilize materials like Cricut machines and 3D printers for their own personal projects.
“It’s been really cool getting to help with those machines and see some of the amazing stuff that people make in there,” says Erwin. “I’ve had a lot of fun getting to play around with them.”
Eric has been working for the Kingsport Public Library for over 5 years now, and he says the diverse and varying nature of the work makes it a fun and rewarding role. He says that his job affords him a high level of independence which allows him to work hard on things he thinks will help the library and the city as a whole.
“I really don’t think there’s anywhere I would rather work than here,” says Erwin.
Eric Erwin is an everyday hero to the City of Kingsport for his commitment to using his technological expertise to help others in our community. The diligence he displays in his work is a major part of making our public library one of the Model City’s most treasured assets.
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Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium is offering residents some simple advice if you happen to encounter a black bear within the city limits.
“Leave them alone and don’t feed them,” said Megan Krager, manager of Bays Mountain Park. “The only reason they’re coming into our area is because they can smell the tasty treats we have around our homes.”
Given Kingsport’s close proximity to Bays Mountain, it’s not uncommon to see a black bear wandering through such nearby neighborhoods like Ridgefields, Sullivan Gardens and Meadowview.
A black bear was recently spotted running around Lynn Garden; another one near Brookside Drive.
“We are getting calls of bears popping up in the neighborhoods and we’re also getting reports of bear sightings throughout the park,” Krager said. “We even saw a juvenile bear in the parking lot of the park, which is a first for me.”
Park officials speculate the harsh freeze that occurred back in May could have had an impact on the amount of vegetation in the forest for bears to forage on. This is causing some bears to look for alternative sources of food and when that happens, the bears tend to get closer to human activity.
“Bears are going to take any opportunity they can to find a tasty meal. Garbage cans, bird feeders, food dishes…anything that smells good to bears, they’ll find a way to get into it,” Krager said.
The City of Kingsport does not come out and manage bears. Neither does Petworks Animal Services or the Kingsport Police Department. The best thing to do if you encounter a bear is leave it alone and give it plenty of distance, Krager said.
“If you happen to see bear cubs in the area, take a look around real quick or look up into a tree. Nine times out of 10, there’s going to be a mother nearby,” Krager said. “And you don’t want to get between a mother and her cubs.”
Here’s some helpful tips when dealing with black bears.
– Leave them alone and give them plenty of space.
– The best way to scare off a bear is to make noise by banging on something or yelling.
– If you have a compost pile, pour some lime or wood ash on it. It helps contain the odors.
– Keep your trash cans locked in a garage or other building during the night.
– Pour a small amount of ammonia in the bottom of your garbage cans. The smell will help drive away bears and other animals.
– Bird feeders and pet food should be brought inside at night and outdoor grills should be stored inside a garage.
– Try and locate gardens, orchards, pet kennels and bee hives a safe distance from your house.
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Kingsport Police Department
Dale Phipps, Chief of Police 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department • www.KingsportPDBlog.com |
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| NEWS RELEASE | ||||
| SUBJECT: | Fireworks are Illegal in the City of Kingsport—Even on Independence Day (Reissue) | |||
| DATE: | July 1, 2022 | |||
| GENERAL NARRATIVE | ||||
| The following is a reminder to area citizens that not only are fireworks potentially dangerous, but they are also very much illegal inside the city limits of Kingsport, EVEN ON INDEPENDENCE DAY.
When reporting fireworks disturbances, please DO NOT CALL 911, unless the fireworks have created an actual emergency, such as a fire or serious injury. Fireworks disturbances should be reported by calling the non-emergency number for Kingsport Central Dispatch which is 423-246-9111. The Kingsport Police Department strongly recommends leaving fireworks to trained and licensed professionals and encourages citizens to instead enjoy an officially sanctioned fireworks show. Violations of the City of Kingsport Fireworks Ordinance are subject to a penalty of $123.75 for each count, to include the fine and associated court costs. See below for the Ordinance itself: City of Kingsport Ordinance 42-112 (a) For the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens and residents of the city, it is unlawful for any person to manufacture, use, discharge, possess with the intent to discharge, or offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail or keep with intent to sell at retail, fireworks in the city. Please consider the following opportunities this summer for your safe and legal fireworks viewing pleasure: · Saturday, July 2, 2022: Kingsport’s Red White and Boom Independence Day Celebration on Main Street in Downtown Kingsport. Immediately following the concert will be “the largest Independence Day fireworks display in Kingsport history.” For further information, please visit: https://thisiskingsport.com/event/red-white-and-boom-independence-day-celebration-2/ · July 3, July 8, July 30, and August 6, 2022: A total of four (4) Kingsport Axmen postgame fireworks shows at Hunter Wright Stadium, located at 800 Granby Road in Kingsport. For further information, please visit: https://www.appyleague.com/kingsport/tickets/promotions · July 23, 2022: Kingsport Fun Fest Eastman Fireworks Spectacular immediately following the concert, viewable from J. Fred Johnson Stadium and Memorial Park in Kingsport. For further information, please visit: https://funfest.net/events/eastman-fireworks-spectacular |
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| RELEASING OFFICER | ||
| Thomas M. Patton, Public Information Officer
Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-343-9749 (FAX) ThomasMPatton |
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