Locust Police Department

05/30/2026

WELCOME TO LOCUST FROM THE LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENT

Are you a new resident or business establishment to Locust, or considering relocating or starting a business in "The City With A Soul" and want more information about criminal activity in Locust or the Locust Police Department?

Check out the two links below for our department website where you can see our annual crime and activity statistics reports for the last 14 years as well as the resources link where you can download a free copy of our 2026/2027 Information And Department Directory publication.

We promise that you will be happy with what you find and you will understand why the City of Locust is a wonderful place to "live, work, and play"!

https://locustnc.com/annual-crime-statistics/

https://locustnc.com/police-department-resources/

05/29/2026

LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENT ACHIEVEMENTS AND TRAINING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Since 2020, the current administration of the Locust Police Department has continued an emphasis on work-life balance and professional development for Locust officers.

Though the nature of our duties may require sacrifice and priority in certain situations, LPD administration believes strongly in a family first philosophy where officers if at all possible can prioritize their family responsibilities and time.

We also strongly promote professional development for Locust officers with the goal of developing every Locust officer into the most well-rounded, knowledgeable, and well-trained officer that they can be. Although we hope what our department and great city offers is enough for those officers to decide to spend their career at LPD, there is an understanding that at times substantial training and educational accomplishments may be then taken to another agency. We feel it is still important to emphasize that professional development whether they remain at LPD or decide to go elsewhere.

I (Chief Shew) am incredibly proud of the work each Locust officer puts in to be more knowledgeable and well-trained in their roles as officers here. Though it betters them as officers overall, it even more so benefits our community, our residents, and visitors here in Locust. I am more proud of the support our city, city government, city and department staff provide our officers to assure they are always supported in their daily operations but more importantly they are supported in assuring the health of their family unit away from the job is prioritized.

Locust officers are always acknowledged in office for their accomplishments through various merit pay increases, certificates, and commendation bars. I also like to acknowledge their achievements publicly but admittedly there are times where I will get a bit behind on that.

So this very much extended post is to recognize both recent training achievements and department accomplishments as well as a brief summary of accomplishments we are so proud of our officers for since 2020. We thank so much the Locust community for the support you give us, and for the opportunity to serve here. We are all beyond blessed to be members of the Locust Police Department!

ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE 2020

NCCJETSC Intermediate Certification
- 8 (4 in last year, 12 total)

NCCJETSC Advanced Certification
- 4 (6 total)

LPD Master Officer Recognition
- 6 (1 in 2026)

Promotions Since 2020
- Assistant Chief
- Detective Sergeant
- 3 Detective Promotions
- 3 Corporal Promotions (1 in 2025)
- 11 PO2 Advancements (6 since 2024)

Educational Degrees
- 2 Associate Degrees (Current Locust Officers Hold 5 Total Bachelors Degrees, 5 Total Associates Degrees)

TRAINING ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE 2020

LEMA (Law Enforcement Management Academy)
- 5 (1 in 2026)

CIT (Crisis Intervention Training)
- 4 (7 Total CIT Certified Officers)

Instructor Certifications
- 6 General Instructor Certifications (8 Total)
- 6 Specialized Instructor Certifications (7 Total = 1 Fi****ms, 1 Driving, 2 Taser, 1 Combat Casualty Care, 1 FTO, 1 DARE Instructor)

Patrol Division Training (Highlighted Are Specific Training Courses Important To The Functions Of Patrol Officers However Numerous Other Types Of Training Courses Have Been Completed By Locust Patrol Officers)

- SFST (Standardized Field Sobriety Testing) - 7 (17 Total)
- Intoxilyzer Certified Operator - 8 (18 Total)
- RADAR Certified Operator - 12 (20 Total)
- FTO (Field Training Officer) - 4 (9 Total)
- 2,800 Total Training Hours (Excludes Annual Mandated Training Hours)

Criminal Investigations Division Training
- 1,218 Training Hours (2 Detectives) (Excludes Annual Mandated Training Hours)

05/22/2026

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY FROM THE LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENT!

The Locust Police Department office will be closed on Monday May 25th in observance of Memorial Day.

Locust officers remain on-duty 24 hours a day and if you need them, please contact 911 in emergency situations and 704-986-3700 in non-emergency situations.

The Locust Police Department office will re-open Tuesday May 26th at 8:30 am.

05/20/2026

Check out our April 2026 Activity/Crime Stats Summary. The full report is available on the LPD website!

https://locustnc.com/monthly-crime-statistics/

April 2026 Monthly Activity & Crime Report

The Locust Police Department responded to a high volume of public safety activity throughout April 2026, with officers handling 809 total dispatched, attended, or officer-initiated events while also conducting 468 traffic stops and 3,416 area/security checks across the city.

Overall department activity reached 4,225 total activities for the month, averaging 140.8 activities per day, reflecting continued proactive policing, patrol visibility, and service-oriented community response efforts.
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Key Monthly Highlights

Public Safety & Service Activity

• 105 General Investigation events were handled during the month.
• Officers responded to:
o 16 suspicious vehicle calls
o 14 security alarm activations
o 13 well-being checks
o 6 general disturbances
o 4 domestic disturbances
o 4 fire alarm activations
• Property crime remained a significant workload factor with:
o 26 larceny calls involving businesses
o 9 fraud/counterfeiting-related investigations.

Community Service & Assistance

Officers remained highly active in public assistance and service-related responses:
• 29 es**rt details
• 25 general service calls
• 24 medical calls
• 15 motorist assists
• 3 mutual aid requests.

Criminal Investigations & Reports

A total of 114 reportable offenses/incidents were documented during April, resulting in:
• 90 incident reports generated
• An average of 3 required incident reports per day.

The most common reportable criminal categories included:
• Vehicle-related incidents requiring full reports — 29
• Larceny from businesses — 28
• Fraud/counterfeiting offenses — 10
• DWI-related offenses — 10.
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Traffic Enforcement & Roadway Safety

Traffic enforcement remained a major operational focus during April 2026.

Enforcement Activity
• 468 traffic stops conducted
• 177 citations issued
• 353 documented warnings issued
• 140 speeding warnings issued.

Top citation categories included:
• Speeding — 47
• Driving While License Revoked — 21
• Expired Registration — 18
• No Operator’s License — 14
• Inspection Violations — 10.

Arrest Activity

Officers made arrests involving a variety of criminal and traffic-related offenses:
• 50 total arrest charges
• 19 individuals arrested.

Notable arrest categories included:
• Driving While Impaired
• Resist, Delay, Obstruct
• Drug-related offenses
• Warrant services
• Kidnapping-related charges
• Fraud-related offenses.
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Crash Statistics & Roadway Trends

The department investigated:
• 29 traffic crashes (15 Street/Highway, 14 PVA/Parking Lot)
• Approximately $119,050 in total damage
• Average crash damage of $4,105 per crash.

Reported injuries included:
• 1 serious injury
• 1 additional medical-related event.

Crash comparisons through April show 2026 continuing to trend above prior years:
• 2021 — 59
• 2022 — 60
• 2023 — 68
• 2024 — 69
• 2025 — 92
• 2026 — 96 (Less Street/Highway Crashes Than 2025)

Several crashes occurred along major traffic corridors including:
• Main Street/Central Avenue Intersection
• West Main Street/Renee Ford Road
• 1004 West Main Street (Food Lion PVA)
• 1876 West Main Street (Wal-Mart PVA)
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Proactive Patrol & Community Presence

Officers conducted an impressive:
• 3,416 area and security checks
• Averaging 113.9 checks daily.

These patrols included:
• Business checks
• Neighborhood patrols
• House checks
• Directed visibility patrols throughout the city.
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Monthly Summary

April 2026 reflected another highly active operational month for the Locust Police Department, with officers balancing:
• proactive patrol activity,
• criminal investigations,
• traffic enforcement,
• public service calls,
• and community safety initiatives.

The department’s continued emphasis on visibility, enforcement, investigations, and proactive area checks contributed to maintaining a strong law enforcement presence throughout the community during the month.

05/18/2026

*** LPD OFFICER SPOTLIGHT ***

In our department's series highlighting the outstanding officers of the Locust Police Department, this week's edition, learn a little bit more about Super SRO and running phenom, School Resource Officer Daniel Longtin!

Daniel K. Longtin - School Resource Officer (PO2), Locust Elementary School

Serving Since: March 2020

Beginning his career with the Wadesboro Police Department as a School Resource Officer in 2020, Daniel Longtin came to LPD in April 2022 to take the same role at Locust Elementary School. Since that time, Daniel has become one of the most well-trained and effective SROs that Locust Elementary and the department has ever had. Officer Longtin holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychology from Belmont-Abbey College.

In his tenure with LPD, Officer Longtin has completed numerous specialized courses for his all-important role of protecting and building positive relationships with Locust Elementary students and staff. That training has included the completion of Crisis Intervention Training and he is also a certified D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) instructor conducting the program at several schools in the Locust area. Daniel also gives multiple presentations throughout the year to various groups on topics such as the field of law enforcement, bullying, and va**ng. This summer Officer Longtin will also attempt to acquire his general instructor certification for law enforcement courses in North Carolina. Also this summer, Daniel will present the Locust Police Department Junior Detective Camp for the third consecutive year.

Over the last two years, Daniel has developed a passion for running and physical fitness and he regularly competes in 5ks and other races. He placed 1st overall in the Officer Jason Shuping Memorial 5k in 2025. His dedication to fitness has led to the goal of obtaining his specialized law enforcement instructor certification for physical fitness.

Thank you for the job you do protecting and teaching students Daniel!

05/11/2026

*** LPD OFFICER SPOTLIGHT ***

Returning to our department's series highlighting the outstanding officers of the Locust Police Department. In this week's belated Happy Mother's Day edition, learn a little bit more about the second longest tenured officer at LPD and the only current mother on our force, Detective Sergeant Brittany Tucker!

Brittany H. Tucker - Detective Sergeant, CID
Serving Since: March 2009

A western Stanly County native, Detective Sergeant Brittany Tucker is one of the longest tenured current officers of the Locust Police Department. She began her career as a patrol officer earning the ranks of PO2 and Corporal before agreeing to be the School Resource Officer for Locust Elementary School as part of the department’s focus on school safety in 2018. In 2020, Brittany was appointed as a Detective for the department and in 2022, she was promoted to the rank of Detective Sergeant.

Detective Sergeant Tucker holds an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from Stanly Community College and has earned the Advanced Law Enforcement certification from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. She has also completed 2,000 hours of training during her career.

Detective Sergeant Tucker's service to the Locust community is well-known and she was the co-creator and current co-coordinator of the Locust Police Department Shop With A Cop program. Her community service previously earned her the community nominated "Everyday Hero" award from the Officer Jeff Shelton Foundation in 2016, and she was named "Hometown Hero" of the year for 2021 by the Joe Maus Automotive Group.

In 2022, Detective Sergeant Tucker was named the Chief Steven “Smitty” Smith Officer of the Year. Officers who nominated Brittany used adjectives such as "Dependable, Levelheaded, Knowledgeable, Great Attitude, and Strong Mentor". Chief Shew added to those superlatives describing Sergeant Tucker as "Meticulously Organized, Dedicated and Loyal, Unshakable, and a Warrior". Thank you for all you do Detective Sergeant Tucker!

05/08/2026

***LPD IN THE COMMUNITY***

The Locust Police Department thanks our friends at Providence Academy in Locust for inviting us to be part of their "Police Day" this week.

SRO Longtin and Corporal Dietz (with star of the "show" Officer Rico) did an incredible job speaking to the kids about law enforcement and the role of Rico, and Chief Shew was also on-hand to ride their coattails of greatness.

Rico gave an awesome demonstration of his tracking and detection skills and SRO Longtin thought Corporal Dietz's performance was adequate enough to reward him with a Junior Officer sticker.

If your group is interested in having a presentation or discussion on a variety of public safety and law enforcement topics by our department please send us a direct message or call 704-888-4744. SRO Longtin and Corporal Dietz do a phenomenal job with speaking engagements and demonstrations, and our department is blessed to have multiple other very talented officers that can speak on a variety of topics.

Thanks for having us and we are so honored to serve you!

05/05/2026

The Locust Police Department congratulates our friends at the Stanly County Sheriff's Office on their recent promotions. Lieutenant Middlebrook began his law enforcement career with the Locust Police Department and served with LPD from 2014 until 2018, and many veteran Locust officers have worked alongside Captain Hatley in both patrol and investigative roles on numerous calls and incidents over the past 16 years.

Congratulations to you both!

05/04/2026

***LOCUST POLICE DEPARTMENT MONTHLY SUMMARY***

- April 2026

> Total Calls Dispatched/Initiated - 341*

> Business And Neighborhood Patrols - 3,416*

> Traffic Stops Conducted - 468

> Arrest Charges Made - 50*
- 8 DWI Arrests

> Total Traffic Crashes Reported - 29 (15 Street/Highway, 14 Parking Lot)

*2026 Highs

> Co-Officers Of The Month - Corporal Eric P. Fore, PO2 Paul E. Dover

04/30/2026

Great information from our friends at the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office

The Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office is aware of ongoing conversations in our community regarding electric-assisted “e-bikes” and how they are classified under North Carolina law.

We have seen an increase in the use of e-bikes that exceed the legal definition of a bicycle. In many cases, these e-bikes are capable of higher speeds and are legally classified as mopeds or motorcycles.

This distinction is important not only from a legal standpoint, but from a safety perspective. Higher-speed e-bikes require additional safety measures, including proper licensing, registration, insurance, and helmet use to help protect both the rider and others on the roadway.

Not all e-bikes are considered bicycles. Depending on their speed and motor capabilities, some may fall under the same rules and responsibilities as a motor vehicle.

We want our community, especially parents and young riders, to understand these differences and ensure they are operating their e-bikes safely and within the law.
Courtesy of the UNC School of Government and our Traffic Enforcement and Education Unit, we’ve created the graphic below to help clearly explain how e-bikes are classified.

Our goal is to keep our community informed and safe. We encourage everyone to take a moment to review and understand how their e-bike is classified before operating it on our roadways.