BLUFFTON BEAT “Committed to Community”

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Interim Chief Scott Chandler Interim Bluffton Police Chief Scott Chandler was sworn into office on

Thursday, April 12, 2018. Chief Chandler has been with the Bluffton

Police Department since 2006. He has served as Patrol Sergeant, Traffic

Unit Sergeant, Neighborhood Services Unit Sergeant, Investigations

Lieutenant and Patrol Lieutenant. Before moving to Bluffton, he was a

police officer at the Akron, Ohio Police Department where he began his

law enforcement career in 1999. Chief Chandler received his Bachelor’s

and Master’s degrees from Liberty University. He is also a graduate of the School of Police

Staff and Command at Northwestern University. Chief Chandler will remain as the

Bluffton Police Department interim chief until a new chief is hired.

Get In The Habit

Halt Auto Break-Ins Today You may have recently noticed the more than usual messages popping

up on Bluffton Police Department’s social media platforms. The message

having a consistent theme regarding locking your vehicle doors before going

to bed. Police aren’t trying to annoy you with this regular message. Instead,

police are trying to make it a habit for you to always lock your vehicle’s door

when you exit.

Since the beginning of 2018, Bluffton Police have responded to dozens

of Breaking and Entering Calls for Service. This is one too many. Of these

calls, at least two break-ins involved

firearms being stolen out of the vehicle.

Just these two break-ins put all of our

lives at danger. I know it’s tough to

sometimes remember, because we are

getting the kids out of the car, our

hands are full will bags from the store,

or we are on the phone because we

didn’t want to drive distracted.

Whatever the case may be, we get it.

We are all busy, but we all need to help

each other stay safe. One way to do

that is lock your vehicle doors.

SCAM ALERT

IRS PHISING

It’s that time of year when scammers are pretending to be

employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The

Bluffton Police Department wants to remind you to be vigi-

lant and know the suspicious signs of false IRS communica-

tions.

There are some common actions scammers often do that IRS employees would

never do. Any of these actions is a tell-tale sign of a scam. The IRS will never:

Call to demand immediate payment, or call about taxes owed without first

mailing a bill.

Demand you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or

appeal the amount, they say you owe.

Require you use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid

debit card.

Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement agencies to have

you arrested for not paying.

Email, text, or send you a message via social media.

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, asking

for money, and you know you owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS tax help line

at 1-800-829-1040.

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, asking

for money, and you don’t owe taxes, hang up and report the incident to the

Treasury Inspector General by calling 1-800-366-4484.

You can also file a complaint online by going to https://

www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Information?OrgCode=IRS#crnt&panel1-1

5TH SAFEST CITY

Bluffton 5th Safest City in SC

The Town of Bluffton is ranked as one of

the safest cities in South Carolina for the second

year in a row. This year, Bluffton ranked as the

fifth safest city in South Carolina, according to

the SafeWise Report released earlier this month.

In 2017, Bluffton was also ranked number 5, so

the Town continues to climb to reach the safest

city title. SafeWise used the most recent FBI crime data to analyze an-

drank the cities.

To view the full list, click here: https://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-

cities-south-carolina/

Distracted Driving

It’s National Distracted Driving Awareness month. Distracted driving is a

public health issue that affects us all and it’s much more than just texting

and driving. Distracted Driving is an action that takes your attention away

from the task of safe driving. The latest statistics show motor vehicle

fatalities are up 6% from 2015. More than 40,000 were killed on our

nation's roadways last year, and distracted driving is a major contributor.

Each death is 100% preventable. From cell phones to dashboard

infotainment systems to evolving voice command features – all pose a

threat to our safety. Just one second of your attention is all takes to change

a life forever.

Please be mindful every time you

get behind the wheel. Keep your

hands on the wheel, eyes on the

road, and mind on the drive.

SPRING SAFETY

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Home Prune shrubbery away from

windows before foliage blocks

windows.

Change your smoke alarm

batteries.

Out and About Drive safely, expect an increase in kids, cyclists, pedestrians, and road

maintenance crews with warmer weather.

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.

Use caution when flying kites, stay away from power lines and trees.

Boaters should check their equipment and make sure it is serviceable

and working properly.

Businesses

Ensure an uncluttered and well-lit view from the outside.

Ensure staff has an unobstructed view of customers and they should know proper procedures if they spot a shoplifter.

Train staff to recognize counterfeit currency, credit cards, and false IDs.

Excess cash should be transferred from registers frequently.

Cash registers should be emptied every night.

The money in registers should be counted in a secure area.

Parking lots should be well lit and maintained to ensure customer safety.

NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTION

Cookout with Cops Committed to Community is the Vision of every Bluffton Police

Officer. It’s a saying we all take very seriously and want to make sure those

who work and live here also know that. This is why we want to visit all of

Bluffton’s neighborhoods and speak to each of you through a new program

we are calling Cookout with Cops. Every other month we will be visiting

different neighborhoods to answer resident questions that are specific to

the neighborhood they live. Our first one took place on March 2 at the

Goethe Road Community Center. Our next one in May will be in Lawton

Station.

Free Child Car Seat Checks The Bluffton Police Department offers free child car seat safety

checks every month. If you haven’t taken advantage of these free checks

yet, come to the police station the last Thursday of the month between 5

p.m. and 7 p.m. Officer Bates and Officer Fay are both certified child seat

safety inspectors and can make sure the seat is installed correctly.

SNOW IN BLUFFTON

I know it feels like a long time ago, but can you believe we had two

inches of snow on the ground in Bluffton just a few months ago. Many

of you were here when it happened and have your own pictures, but for

those who didn’t get a chance to see it, or just want to remember what

Bluffton looked like covered in snow, here you go.

FIELD TRIPS

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Since the beginning of 2018, we have been blessed at the police

department to have so many children from different schools and

organizations want to come to see and hear what police officers do every

day. We’ve had visits from two girl scout troops, Kindergarten classes

from Red Cedar Elementary School and Cross Schools, as well as, a small

group from the Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Leadership

class. Thank you all for your continued support.

SPRING COMMUNITY EVENTS

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May River Cleanup On Saturday, April 28,

2018 the 18th Annual May River

Cleanup will take place. This is a

great opportunity for you to get

out and make a difference in

your community. The cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. at Oyster Factory

Park.

Imagination Train Grand Opening

and Ribbon Cutting Celebration

A celebration for the new Imagination Train

Playground in the Field of Dreams at Oscar

Frazier Park will take place later weekend.

The fun is happening on Saturday, April 21 from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m.

There will be a formal ceremony, dedication and ribbon cutting followed

by a Party in the Park. There will be food trucks, face painting, bouncy

houses, music and more. This event is sponsored by the

The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Leadership

Program.

Bluffton Safety Day Soon, the May River will be packed with families boating and enjoying

the water. In order to make sure everyone is safe on the water, boating

experts will be at Oyster Factory Park on Saturday, May 19, 2018 from

11am-3pm. Free vessel and child car seat checks will be offered. You will

also be able to bring old boat flares for proper disposal. The best part,

the U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue helicopter will be doing a live

drop in the middle of the May River. In addition to

Bluffton PD and the Coast Guard, you will also be able

to see and speak with the Beaufort County Sheriff ’s

Office, DNR and the Bluffton Township Fire District.