Hickory Police Chief and Rotarian Tom Adkins spoke to Hickory Rotary today. A twenty-six year veteran of Hickory Police Department, Chief Adkins rose through the ranks of the department to become Chief of Police in 2007. During the course of his career, Chief Adkins has had experience within all the various departmental divisions, thus giving him the insight to successfully manage the 118 sworn officers and 34 civilians under his command.
One of the high points in Chief Adkins’ career occurred in the early 1990s when he played an instrumental role in Hickory Police Department’s implementation of citywide community policing which was started in the Ridgeview community. This style of policing continues today in the department and is commonly known throughout the city as P.A.C.T. (Police And Community Together). This program has had a positive effect on the crime rate in the City of Hickory and is a proven success. Today, there are six P.A.C.T. units that operate on the same basis as the original Ridgeview P.A.C.T. Each P.A.C.T. has a commander, supervisor, several patrol officers, and a criminal investigator assigned to provide police services with emphasis on problem solving and customer satisfaction. A police substation has been opened in each P.A.C.T. The substations have enhanced communication within each P.A.C.T. and have served as another means to reach out to the communities.
Chief Adkins also discussed the department’s Code Enforcement Unit which was modeled after a similar unit in Concord, NC. The Code Enforcement Unit enforces regulations related to the following:
- Minimal Housing – Unsafe Living Conditions
- Health and Safety
- City Nuisance Codes
- Junk and Nuisance Vehicles
Use this link – HPD 2013 Rotary Presentation to view Chief Adkin’s presentation.
