Event raises awareness of crime, drugs

The Hartsville Police Department sponsored the 26th Annual National Night Out on Aug. 4 and invited area agencies to participate. In all, seven agencies, the Sheriff’s Department, Department of Social Services (DSS), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Hartsville Police Department, Hartsville Fire Department, the SWAT Team and the Mounted Police Unit, came together for the event. The National Night Out is held annually on the second Tuesday in August.
Nationwide, over 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide participate in National Night Out.
“The event has grown each year,” said Police Chief Tim Kemp.
“The point of the event is to heighten awareness of crime and drugs and strengthen our partnership with the community.”
One such community partner, Dorothy Hines, serves as block captain for a four-block radius on Marion Avenue, Lincoln, Eighth and Butler Streets.
“They’re our friends,” Hines said of the police.
Hines works extensively with the Hartsville Police Department and Crime Stoppers.
National Night Out also sends the message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and unified to fight back.
Those who do help law enforcement fight crime have an added incentive beyond safer neighborhoods.
“They give me a good tip, they can get money,” Corporal Maria Bryant, County Coordinator for Crime Stoppers of the Pee Dee, explained.
People can call in tips to 843-667-TIPS or 1-888-CRIME-SC anytime without having to reveal their identity.
Research shows that when neighbors know each other and look out for each other, crime goes down, according to the National Night Out Web site.
While crime may go down, law enforcement always works to be prepared for it.
Lt. Brian Rudick explained some of the many high-tech tools the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team has at its disposal, including a thermal imager and rescue phone for negotiators.
“All these tools are designed to preserve life,” Rudick said. “We want to bring everything to a safe resolution.”
Rudick then points to a table of rifles.
“We’re a life saving organization, but we have to have firepower because the bad guys use it too,” he said.
Two of the rifles, a Remington PSS .308 and M-14 .308, can go through windows and body armor and are used for long shots. The Bushmaster M-4 .223, another rifle on display, is similar to what U.S. soldiers fight with in Iraq and Afghanistan and can defeat body armor.
“We’re the last line of defense,” Rudick said. “A hostage situation or an active shooting situation would necessitate our deployment.”
For other situations, the Darlington County Mounted Police Unit may be called upon. The unit, including four horses, formed and began training in February and will go to N.C. State to certify both riders and horses in October.
Some children attending the event patted the horses on the nose while other were overwhelmed by their size.
Other entertainment for children was provided at the DSS tent. The agency provided children’s games and information packets on a variety of the services the agency offers: foster care, adult protection services, family independence assistance, nutrition programs, job training, food stamps and child safety seat checks.
“People don’t realize they can come to the DSS office to get this type of assistance,” said Merri-Shannon Lunn, Foster Home Licensing Coordinator.
Lunn said there are many ways people can help those less fortunate. The spectrum of time contributions range from becoming a full-time foster parent to being an emergency baby sitter a few days a week to posting signs on your car or property to help spread the word.
The agency is also holding a back-to-school drive for school supplies and duffel bags for foster children. You can drop off donations at the DSS office, 130 E. Camden Ave., Hartsville.
DNR also engaged the children and attendees with a shooting simulator tent. The video-game style program had a plastic rifle as the controller and you could shoot deer, pigs, turkeys and more on screen.
Russell Galloway of DNR said the program is used for more than fun, “It also contains hunting education courses and programs to get kids involved with the outdoors.”