TAPPAHANNOCK POLICE HOLD SECOND ANNUAL SHOP-WITH-A-COP EVENT

On December 5, 2019, at 6 p.m., the annual "Shop with a Cop" event was held at the Tappahannock Walmart Store.  "Shop with a Cop" is a program in which police officers are paired with local children to allow them to buy Christmas gifts for themselves and their families.  The purpose of this program is to foster positive relationships between law enforcement and teenagers.  This year's event paired 26 police officers and court personnel with 23 less fortunate children.  Walmart provided funding for this event through a grant awarded to the Tappahannock Police Department.  Chief James G. Ashworth, Jr. stated, "This event would not have been possible without the assistance of Jenny Pope, Tappahannock Walmart manager and her staff.  Jenny has been instrumental in providing everything needed to make this a success.  I also want to thank the Essex County Christmas Mother Program for helping us find teenagers who would benefit from this event."  The chief also wants to thank the following agencies for their participation in making this event a success; Essex County Sheriff's Office, Virginia State Police, Essex Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, and Essex County Circuit Court.

TAPPAHANNOCK POLICE MAKE ARREST IN FINANCIAL FRAUD CASE

Tappahannock Police Department has charged a man in connection with fraudulent use of credit card information at Lowe's in Tappahannock.  Anthony Crandle, 52, of Norfolk has been charged with 13 felony offenses including, obtaining money under false pretenses, credit card fraud, and grand larceny.  These charges are related to offenses that occurred in September and October using credit card information that the suspect had illegally obtained.  The police department believes that Crandle used the stolen credit card information to obtain over $7,000 worth of merchandise from Lowe's.  "This case is a reminder to people to keep a watch on their accounts and keep that information secure.  If it had not been for the victims reporting this quickly, there could have been potentially much more financial loss.", said Chief James G. Ashworth, Jr.  Ashworth added that, "Officer Chris Green did a very thorough and diligent investigation on this case and worked hard to bring this matter to a close." 

 

The police department would like to thank the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office and Lowe's of Tappahannock for their assistance in this case. 

 

Crandle is being held at the Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center and is due back in Essex General District Court on December 19.  

TAPPAHANNOCK POLICE DEPARTMENT’S K-9 DREGO RECEIVES DONATION OF BODY ARMOR

Tappahannock Police Department's K9 Drego has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. The vest was sponsored by Kathy Grogan-Farmer of Manakin-Sabot, Virginia and embroidered with the sentiment "Born to Love - Trained to serve - Loyal Always".

 

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c(3) charity located in East Taunton, MA whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 3,400 protective vests in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a value of $5.7 million dollars.

 

The program is open to dogs actively employed in the U.S. with law enforcement or related agencies who are certified and at least 20 months of age. New K9 graduates, as well as K9s with expired vests, are eligible to participate.

 

The donation to provide one protective vest for a law enforcement K9 is $950.00. Each vest has a value between $1,744 – $2,283, and a five-year warranty and an average weight of 4-5 lbs. There is an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States. For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts tax-deductible donations of any denomination at www.vik9s.org or mailed to P.O. Box 9 East Taunton, MA 02718.