Here’s what Bluffton’s new police chief didn’t do during his first news conference

Chief Christopher Chapmond, the Bluffton Police Department’s new top cop, read a prepared statement at a news conference Thursday during which he talked about his emphases for the agency — including a commitment to public transparency and trust — but declined to take questions from reporters.

“Truly, I just kind of want to wrap my head around things,” Chapmond said when asked immediately afterward why questions were off-limits at the event, held in front of the police department on Progressive Street.

Chapmond, who began his tenure as chief last week, added that he “wanted to come in and get his feet wet,” and he reiterated his invitation to the media to sit down in the coming weeks to “discuss specific topics.”

The event was Chapmond’s first public appearance since being sworn in; he participated in a public forum in July when he was one of two finalists for the job.

And while it was billed as a “news conference” — a forum for Chapmond “to introduce himself and provide a message to the community” — per a department release sent Tuesday, there was no opportunity for deeper discussion. Upon their arrival, members of the media were told Chapmond wouldn’t take questions.

Tuesday’s release did not specify reporters wouldn’t be allowed to ask questions.

Chapmond highlighted four focus areas, all arrayed around increasing community engagement.

“If you know my background, you know I have a very strong background in drug enforcement,” he said, enumerating his first emphasis.

He highlighted “proactive drug enforcement” and public education, and touched specifically on the “pitfalls and problems with the opioid crisis, and the issue with pain medications.”

Chapmond’s second focus was a free community class that teaches citizens how to survive an active-shooter incident while police are en route to the scene.

Thirdly, he talked about the importance of relationships between other agencies and first responders.

“If you know anything about me, I’m a team player,” he said, “and I believe we cannot do this job by ourselves.”

Lastly, he touted his belief in “accountability and public trust.”

He said his agency will not be perfect, but pledged it will learn from any mistakes it makes and move forward, while also taking time to celebrate “wins” with the community.

There will be more wins than losses, he said.

It’s important for his agency to know that it has the public’s trust, Chapmond said.

“Trust is very important, and I want you, the media, and the citizens of Bluffton to understand that we want to continue to build upon the trust that’s already in place and truly take it to the next level,” he said.

In terms of transparency, the Bluffton Police Department has come under scrutiny in recent months, and has reversed policies and procedures.

In June, the department walked back a policy that required the media and public to fill out a form before viewing police reports — a requirement that violated South Carolina’s open-record law — according to The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette.

Last October, the department abandoned a practice that required the submission of formal S.C. Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain recent, routine police reports, according to the newspapers.

That practice contrasted the procedures of other law enforcement agencies in the county, and its abandonment was accompanied by pledges of openness and transparency from town officials.

This story was originally published September 6, 2018 at 5:12 PM.