I would like to recognize our VHHS Class of 2017. We had 467 seniors, with 205 of them graduating with the Advanced Academic with Honors endorsement on their diplomas. Scholarships offered exceeded $31 million, and the amount accepted exceeded $12 million. Both these amounts are school records! Congratulations to the faculty and the students for a job well done. Our schools continue a tradition of excellence.
Our police department has established an “E-Commerce Safe Zone” for conducting internet transactions, Craigslist sales/purchases or any other situation where you are meeting someone you don’t know to sell or purchase items. The location of this safe zone is a designated area adjacent to the police department entrance and City Hall. There is signage clearly designating this area as the “E-Commerce” parking area. This area is clearly observable from the police department and is monitored by video cameras. The desk sergeant can view these transactions from TV monitors inside the station 24 hours a day. This provides a safe area for our citizens to conduct business transactions.
Our police department also has launched a “Community Crime Fighting Effort.” For the first time, citizens across Vestavia Hills now have the ability to provide anonymous crime fighting tips through the power of anonymous text messaging and web tips. VHPD and CrimeReports, the industry leader in law enforcement tip management software and web applications, have joined together to provide this service that allows citizens to send anonymous tips about any illegal activity, vandalism, theft, sale and distribution of drugs or any other police matter by sending a text message from a mobile phone or online device. Instructions for use of these systems can be found on the VHPD website.
These services are another example of why our police department is highly acclaimed and why Vestavia Hills continues to be one of the safest communities in Alabama.