BLUFFTON BEAT “Committed to Community” F A L L 2 0 1 7 Chief ’s Message Welcome to the Bluffton Police Department’s fall 2017 newsletter. The intention of this quarterly newsletter is to make the public aware of what we do on a daily basis, as well as, what special activities we have recently completed or are planning to take part in. I’d like to first introduce myself to those who may not know me. In July, I was promoted to Chief of Police after spending 3 and half years as the department’s Deputy Chief. Before that, my 29+ years in law enforcement had been spent in Florida. Bluffton is a very special town to me and I’m proud to be your Chief. Hurricane Irma
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BLUFFTON BEAT Beat... · Department’s fall ... the Bluffton Police Department’s mission. ... Mendicino then administered chest compressions on Mr. Hensley until EMS arrived and
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BLUFFTON BEAT “Committed to Community”
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Chief ’s Message Welcome to the Bluffton Police
Department’s fall 2017 newsletter. The intention
of this quarterly newsletter is to make the public
aware of what we do on a daily basis, as well as,
what special activities we have recently
completed or are planning to take part in. I’d
like to first introduce myself to those who may not know me. In July, I was
promoted to Chief of Police after spending 3 and half years as the
department’s Deputy Chief. Before that, my 29+ years in law enforcement
had been spent in Florida. Bluffton is a very special town to me and I’m
proud to be your Chief.
Hurricane Irma
CRIME
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BLUFFTON OFFICER OF THE
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The Bluffton Police Department held its annual
swearing-in and awards ceremony on Wednesday,
August 9th. At that time awards were presented to
officers who have exemplified themselves as leaders
and those who have worked in line with the
department’s vision of “committed to community.”
This year’s Officer of the Year was awarded to
Officer Jeff Dickson for his dedication and work
ethic in putting criminals behind bars.
Sgt. Bonifacio Perez was awarded the Senior Leadership
award which is presented to a supervisor that has shown
excellent leadership and professionalism in the pursuit of
the Bluffton Police Department’s mission. This year the
Leadership Award is being given to Sergeant Bonifacio
Perez. Sergeant Perez is our youngest Sergeant in the
department, but his dedication to his Team, his maturity
and his decision making is wise beyond his years.
MPO Jason Rodriguez was awarded the Live Saving Award.
This is issued to an officer who has made extraordinary
actions, and were directly responsible or assisted in saving a
human life. In October of last year, Officer Rodriguez and
Officer Mendicino responded to a call in which Mr. Hensley
had collapsed and was unresponsive. Officer Mendicino retrieved his AED
from his patrol car, and applied the AED pads to Mr. Hensley’s chest while
Officer Rodriguez monitored Mr. Hensley’s condition. Officer Rodriguez and
Mendicino then administered chest compressions on Mr. Hensley until EMS
arrived and placed him on the automated check compression machine. This
was a situation in which all are trained for but you never know how you will
react. Officer Rodriguez’s reacted with courage and strength.
FALL SAFETY
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Autumn is a time of Football, cooler weather and shortening days. Now is the time to perform some
simple maintenance tasks to insure that we continue to stay safe. This is also a good time to inventory any
safety kits, such as hurricane or travel kits. Check your vehicle to ensure that it is prepared for traveling to visit
family and friends.
Home
Prune shrubbery away from windows before foliage blocks win-
dows.
Change your smoke alarm batteries.
Out and About
Drive safely, use your headlights since it is getting dark earlier
each day.
Lock all car doors and hide all items in trunk out of plain view.
Make sure you are not encumbered with a large number of items.
Women, carry your purse as close to your body as possible, no
dangling straps. Men, carry your wallet in front pants
pocket.
Do not travel alone.
Recreation
Cyclists should lock bikes up and wear reflective safety
equipment. Register your bike in case it is stolen or lost.
Boaters should check their equipment and make sure it is
serviceable and working properly.
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
Bluffton Police Department’s National Night Out event was full of fun and
educational information again. The fourth annual event took place at Eagle’s
Field on Tuesday, October 3rd. Typically, this event is held on the first Tues-
day of August, but due to the heat in past years, the department decided to
change it to October. This proved to be very beneficial for the thirty non-profit
organizations, sponsors, and local and state law enforcement agencies who
took part in the event.
There was free food, free drinks, free arts and crafts for the children, free K9
demonstration, free jaws-of-life demonstration, free child car seat checks, free
pet microchipping, and free goodies for everyone that joined in the fun. For
those who missed it, here are some pictures and please mark your calendar for
next October.
CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY
Twenty-one students with the Bluffton Police Department’s Citizens
Police Academy will graduate Monday, October 16th from the 11-week
course. Each week, the students have learned various aspects of how
police investigate crimes, how evidence is processed, why the
department uses specific equipment, how K9s are used for various police
needs, and more on what police do on a daily basis. This is the 4th
annual CPA class Bluffton Police has held. It begins in August of each
year and runs through October.
ARE YOU PREPARED?
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If you haven’t yet prepared your hurricane kit, it’s never too late.
Hurricane season lasts until November 30. So far this year we have dealt with
Hurricane Irma and those of you here last year, remember Hurricane Matthew.
If you haven’t yet made your kit or know what you should do if a hurricane
were to affect us, here are a few basic tips.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the local hurricane
evacuation route(s) to take and have a plan for where you can stay.
Put together a disaster supply kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, first
aid supplies, and copies of your critical information if you need to evacuate
If you are not in an area that is advised to evacuate and you decide to stay in
your home, plan for adequate supplies in case you lose power and water for
several days and you are not able to leave due to flooding or blocked roads.
Make a family communication plan. If you and your children are in different
places when an emergency occurs, how will you get in touch with each
other? Do you have a meeting place? What happens if you lose power,
internet and phone service? How will you let loved ones know you are ok?
Check with your local officials and find out how they will be disseminating
information letting the public know if they must leave, when they must
leave, and when they can return. Here at Bluffton PD we utilize our website,
Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor and our free App for IPhones and Android
called MyPD. It can be found in any app store.
While these are just a few basic tips, the South Carolina Emergency
Management Division produces a Hurricane Guide each year that provides
specifics on where to go, what to take and how to return. To read the guide go
to the Bluffton Police Department’s homepage at http://
www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/police-department/home or click on the picture