After a Chattanooga officer was shot to death during an armed robbery April 2, some area police officials say they might not have been prepared to handle a similar situation.
“We live in a small town. A lot of people equate it with Mayberry or a step up from it … and you can let your guard down,” said LaFayette, Ga., police Sgt. Stacey Meeks. “Unfortunately, it takes something bad like this to really wake people up.”
Police across the region grieved with their Chattanooga brothers and sisters over the death of Sgt. Tim Chapin, who was buried Thursday. But some also are looking internally and evaluating how to better protect themselves.
Last week, LaFayette police visited most of the city’s banks, jewelry stores and pawnshops, talking about how officers and owners should respond if the silent alarm is tripped during an armed robbery.
Most of the time when police respond to calls in LaFayette, it’s a false alarm, Meeks said, and over time that can make officers complacent.