The Sheriff's Line - March News

March 2013 | Issue 6

In This Issue

Firearms Training Program

Crime Watch - ID Theft

Nixle Program

Stay Connected

Commit to Concentrate

Featured Man of the Force

Quick Links

Sheriff's Office Website

Our Facebook Page

Meet the Sheriff

Frequently Asked Questions

USA Neigborhood Watch

Stay Connected

Have You Committed?

Click here to take the pledge!

We have officially launched our distraction-free driving campaign

"Commit to Concentrate."

Distracted drivers are risking more than their own life, but also the lives of passengers and other drivers.

Driving is the most dangerous activity we do, which is why it is crucial to concentrate on the road while you are at the wheel.

Protect yourself. Protect the lives of others on the road.

After you sign the pledge, print out a copy to keep with you as reminder of your commitment to concentration.

Featured Man

of the Force

Meet Deputy Zack Tanner

This year marks the 18^th anniversary of Deputy Zack Tanner's career in law enforcement.

Tanner began working in law enforcement during high school as part time employee for the local Sheriff's Office in Sumter County.

With a long family history of careers in law enforcement, Tanner understands the line of work better than anyone.

Upon graduating high school, Tanner went on to attend the Police Academy. After several positions in various Sheriff's Offices across South Georgia, Tanner relocated to Greensboro.

Tanner now works as Deputy for the K-9 Division for the Green County Sheriff's office. One of his main responsibilities is to train and look after Igor, an 8 year old Belgium Malinois.

"Every month Igor and I go through a mandatory training," Tanner said. "This role isn't for everyone because it's a 24 hour 7 day a week job. I have to constantly tend to Igor, which requires a lot of patience. To work in this position, you must have a love, knowledge and understanding for your animal."

Although training is very intense, Tanner finds it very rewarding. One of the highlights of his career was the first time Igor successfully identified narcotics after Tanner pulled the vehicle over on 1-20.

"After the dogs accomplish the initial narcotics alert, its much easier from them to find uncontrolled substances," Tanner said. "That first time is like an icebreaker."

Other highlights of Tanner's career involved working on several security teams.

"I've had the privilege of working security for two different presidents of the United States," Tanner said.

Tanner looks forward to the future and the exciting things to come for the Greene County Sheriff's Office.

"Our department is growing and we are pushing to be on the cutting edge with technological advances and adding to our programs," Tanner said. "The Greene County Sheriff's office has a very qualified staff and I fully believe together we can achieve greatness."

Greetings!

The Greene County Sheriff's Office has some exciting new developments. The Greene County Citizen's Firearms Program has continued to grow with more people participating in the free courses. This expansion has been made possible due to an overwhelming support from the community. This past week Richard's Wine bar hosted a Quail Dinner benefiting the firearms training program.

The success of the Greene County Sheriff's Office is attributed to the hard work of the staff and the diligence of the men and the women in the field. In this issue of the Sheriff's Line, we highlight Deputy Zack Tanner for his continued excellence and training efforts within the K-9 department.

In addition, this issue discusses suggested precautionary measures to prepare for tax season. As April approaches, it is crucial for citizens to be aware that tax season provides a prime opportunity for identity theft. We encourage everyone to read the article on identity theft and follow the outlined guide for protection.

As always, we appreciate the support from the community and we are enthusiastic about the future of Greene County and the Greene County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff headshot

Thank you,

Sheriff Chris Houston

Firearms Training Program

Wins Community Support

The Greene County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) is honored by the community's continued support for the Greene County Citizens' Firearms Training Program. Since the program began last May, the amount of community participation has grown immensely.

A delicious BBQ Quail and Catfish Gumbo dinner was held at Richard's Wine Bar on Monday evening, March the 11^th and benefited the GCSO Range Shelter Project. The event was an evening filled with community spirit to rally everyone together and begin raising funds to build an all new shelter type structure over the existing Greene County Sheriff's Office Firing Range. Such a shelter will allow students attending Citizens' Firearms Training and Sheriff's Deputies to conduct basic, as well as advanced, firearms training regardless of inclement weather. The projected cost for this much needed addition to the current training facility is $40,000.

Quail Dinner

Those who attended the dinner Monday evening were past, recent and future "graduates" of the Greene County Citizens' Firearms Training Program sponsored by Sheriff Chris Houston and the Greene County Sheriff's Office.

The evening started with Deputy Sheriff Hogan Lewis thanking the gathered crowd. Hogan continued by identifying those special individuals who collaborated to make this planned event become such a tremendous success. In recognition of, and appreciation for, the giving of their time, energy and products, the following were introduced; Richard and Kathy Matthews of Classic Wines and Spirits and Richard's Wine Bar, Ivan Bilbao, General Manager of Quail International, Inc., Chuck and Margie Forbes, Gerald and Christine Schmidt, Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at Cuscowilla, Harold Huston and a number of other valued Members of the Lake Oconee Elks Lodge #2849. It was acknowledged that every single student of the Greene County Citizens' Firearms Training Program was an invaluable part of its unparalleled success.

Photo Above: This is an example of the type of structure that we hope to build for the Greene County Citizen's Firearms Program. A covered range would allow for more courses and protection from weather.

Read More >

Crime Watch

Identity Theft

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Did you know that over 10 million people are victims of identity theft every year?

The majority of identity theft occurs in April due to tax season. Tax season is one of the most dreaded times of the year for most people. While it may be a stressful time for some, others look forward to receiving a tax refund.

Unfortunately the allure of tax refunds entices criminal behavior making tax season a prime opportunity for identity theft.

Citizens are uneducated about the communication and filing methods of the IRS. Most people are unaware that government agencies and the IRS communicate with people solely through traditional mail. Therefore criminals take advantage of people by posing as IRS representatives via email or phone.

Criminals prey on the public sending fraudulent e-mails as part of a ploy to steal someone's identity.

This type of tax scam is known as "phishing." Phishing is one the most common tax scam effecting millions of people every year. Consumers receive a fraudulent email that is uniquely characterized for them. The personalized emails deceive the consumers into believing the email is actually from the IRS.