HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Hiawassee Police Chief Paul Smith provided information to the community and council during April’s city session.

“Last year in March, we had 17 drug arrests, 13 of those were felonies,” Chief Smith relayed, “This year we had two, one felony and one misdemeanor. Fantastic drop, and like I said before, it’s not like we’re not out there doing the work, there’s less of it to do. Other than that, our numbers are about the same, as far as the traffic stops and citations we’ve been writing.”

In fact, Hiawassee Police Department statistics show an increase in that particular area of activity. Data reveals that 282 reports have been written in the first-quarter of 2018, in comparison to 245 reports in 2017. Citations, incidents, and accidents are included in the report. Calls for service have also increased, jumping from 818 in the first-quarter of last year, to a total of 868 service calls in 2018.

Hiawassee Police Department recently obtained updated software for patrol vehicle computers, assisting officers in operating even more efficiently. The advanced program, equip with GPS capability, expedites the legal process for both citizens and law enforcement.

“We now have the ability to run tags and licenses on the car laptop. Prior to that, we would have to radio into dispatch every time we wanted to run information,” Smith explained.

The new software is capable of quickly providing officers with pertinent information, such as the owner of the vehicle, a driver’s license photograph, and whether the vehicle has valid insurance and proper registration.

L-R: Chief Paul Smith and Officer Jordan Guffey, with Mayor Liz Ordiales – Photo courtesy of City of Hiawassee

“Before I get up to that car, I have an idea what I’m dealing with. It’s a safety feature, and it’s a convenience for us because we’re not having to run everything through dispatch,” Smith says, “Any time someone is driving on the road, we can check their tag to see if they have proper insurance, and their registration. In the past couple of weeks, just by checking random tags, we found two people with no insurance.”

In addition, Chief Smith announced a child car seat safety initiative, encouraged by Hiawassee Officer Jordan Guffey. Officer Guffey attended a 24-hour training course, acquiring certification in proper installation. In turn, the program has supplied four child car seats to the City of Hiawassee, which are available to parents in need.

Hiawassee Police Department will be on Town Square on Saturday, May 26, with additional car seats, free of charge. The department is offering to inspect or install the seats in vehicles in order to heighten the safety of children in the community.