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Chatham County proclaims Police Week, recognizes officers for rescue and launches scam‑awareness campaign
Summary
At its May 8 meeting the Chatham County Board of Commissioners honored law enforcement for National Police Week, recognized two officers who caught children during a large Georgetown fire, and heard a police bimonthly report that flagged staffing shortfalls, a small rise in crime and nearly $1 million in scam losses in unincorporated areas.
Chatham County elected officials on May 8 proclaimed May 10–15 as Police Week and heard a bimonthly briefing from Police Chief Hadley that highlighted recent rescues, staffing shifts and a new public‑education effort targeting financial scams.
Chief Hadley opened by thanking the board for supporting the county police department reestablished in 2018 and by recognizing Officers Thomas Velty and Brandon Low, who he said caught children dropped from a second‑story balcony during a large house fire in Georgetown. "We did release the body camera footage," Hadley told the commissioners, saying the video drew widespread attention online and showcased the officers' actions.
The chief summarized departmental staffing and operations: he reported the department had 24 current vacancies, several recent academy graduates and a reduced attrition rate. Hadley also reported a modest year‑to‑date rise in incidents — "around just a tick up from last year, about 5%" — and said thefts from autos remained the department's most common category.
Hadley urged the public to take part in a new awareness campaign, "Stop, Check, Protect," aimed at reducing financial fraud. "Stop" urges residents to pause when contacted unexpectedly; "Check" urges independent verification; and "Protect" urges safeguarding personal financial information. The chief said scam losses in unincorporated Chatham County totalled nearly $1 million so far this year.
Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about targeted enforcement in business corridors, a rash of break‑ins in Village Green, arson investigations and tools such as ShotSpotter. The chief said investigators are working with the state fire marshal on several arson cases and that ShotSpotter is generally designed for dense urban areas and may not be well suited to Chatham County's more varied geography.
The board recessed after taking the report and moved on to its action calendar.
Next steps: the department will continue public outreach on scams, host a promotion and pinning ceremony next week, and provide district‑level crime statistics to commissioners on request.
