ASHEVILLE — From April 23-30, more than 275 law enforcement, EMS and security bike professionals from across the United States, one U.S. territory and the province of Ontario will descend on Asheville for the 26th annual International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) conference. The classroom portion of the conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza [...]
“Die Hard, “The Negotiator” and “Speed. What do all of these movies have in common? They all involve actors portraying skilled crisis negotiators assisting in the rescue of hostages. At the Asheville Police Department we don’t employ actors, but rather officers trained to effectively communicate with people who are in a crisis situation. A team [...]
Asheville’s first responders are facing off for a lifesaving cause. Local heroes are rolling up their sleeves — and encouraging the community to do the same — as they vie for the most pints donated at the sixth annual Battle of the Badges blood drive. It happens 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 24 at First [...]
The Asheville Police Department invites Buncombe County residents to apply for the spring semester of the Citizen’s Police Academy. Classes will begin on March 3 and will be held from 5:30-9 p.m. every Thursday for 14 consecutive weeks. The Citizens Police Academy is a free course that provides citizens with insight into the philosophies, policies and guiding [...]
The Asheville Police Department is continuing with plans to implement a body worn camera program. The most recent step is the posting of a Law Enforcement Technology Specialist position which will be responsible for administering the program to the highest standards. The community will see officers with body cameras as soon as early summer of [...]
At its first meeting of the year, City Council received a report and viewed a video highlighting initiatives accomplished during 2015. Items ranged from the swearing in of Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper to the City earning a national award for its SimpliCity search engine. You can view that video at the bottom of this [...]
The City of Asheville’s 2015 Watch for Me NC campaign, which ran from September to November, saw a citywide reduction of 27% in pedestrian- and bicycle-related crashes in comparison to the same time period average for 2010-2014. This is the first year the City of Asheville has participated in the Watch for Me NC campaign. [...]
Asheville Police Sgt. Ann Fowler of the Asheville Buncombe DWI Task Force talks about the Sober Hero program, an initiative designed to promote not just designated drivers but sober drivers. And what to do if you find you’ve had too much to drink. The program enlists the aid of local restaurants and bars. With holiday parties going [...]
The holiday shopping season is upon us. The backseats of our vehicles are filled with gifts for friends and family, packages are being delivered to our homes and stockings are stuffed by the chimney with care. But beware, Kevin McAllister from “Home Alone” won’t be available to booby trap your home from bandits. In his [...]
Updated version: Corrects date of the training to Dec. 14. The City of Asheville Police Department (APD) and Parking Services Division are inviting residents to participate in the Volunteer Accessible (ADA) Parking Enforcement Program. Through this program, the APD trains volunteers how to write citations and warnings to drivers who park illegally in handicapped disabled parking spaces. [...]
North Carolina’s Thanksgiving Click It or Ticket campaign will run from Nov. 22-30. The program, a statewide partnership between local agencies and the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, aims to increase seat belt and child safety use rates through increased enforcement of the state’s seat belt law. On Nov. 23, the Asheville Police Department (APD) and the [...]
Above, Sgt. Jeff Peterson and his son Officer Andrew Peterson. Police departments around the country are comprised of a tight-knit group of individuals, who commonly refer to their coworkers as their brothers and sisters in blue. The Asheville Police Department is no different. It is not uncommon for multiple generations of blood-related family members to work [...]
