Thomasville police open new downtown substation

THOMASVILLE — A new Thomasville Police substation recently opened in downtown Thomasville in the Thomasville Municipal Building. The substation will be staffed by Officer Joey Blackburn.

According to Thomasville Police Chief John Letteney, the new office reinforces community-oriented policing and builds community relationships.

“This new substation is a great example of policing with the community so we can solve problems together, reduce potential crime, and provide business owners with a sense of safety and security,” Letteney said.

Over the past year, downtown businesses expressed safety concerns to the Thomasville Police Department. These concerns increased during downtown events, due to additional people and traffic visiting the area.

“Increased activity, including panhandling and shoplifting, has been of concern to many of these businesses,” Letteney said. “Through meetings and conversations with business owners and city of Thomasville staff, we were able to evaluate resources and work together to develop solutions.”

The city of Thomasville’s Office of Downtown and Tourism Development helped to locate office space, and the substation officially opened in November. Since then, Blackburn has been making rounds and meeting individually with downtown business owners.

“I’ve enjoyed building relationships so I can address safety concerns and resolve potential problems quickly,” Blackburn said.

For more information, contact the Thomasville Police Department at (229) 227-3249 or Blackburn at (229) 227-3379.

Special Photo: Thomasville Police