LAURINBURG — Coming from a line of public servants, 17-year-old Hardy Tippett has donated hand-made wooden flags to the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office and Laurinburg Police Department.
Hardy said that he had begun making the flags for family and friends since November. The completely hand-carved American flags given to the Police Department and Sheriff’s Office both have the blue line on it to represent the brotherhood of the department. Hardy has done other designs ranging from the traditional American flag to one for breast cancer awareness to others representing North Carolina.
Since then the entire thing has taken off, with numbers close to hitting triple digits. Despite that, it was important for Hardy to give something to local law enforcement agencies.
“I wanted to give back because I have a long family history of it — and my brother is currently trying to become a Pennsylvania state trooper,” Hardy said. “Just decided to give back to the Police Department and it just kind of took off and I got really busy. I kept getting (busy) and I wasn’t able to meet with the Police Department but I finally sat down and got a time to meet with them.”
Hardy’s great-grandfather, Clyde Tippett, worked as a deputy sheriff and his grandfather, Mike Tippett, was a lieutenant who retired from the police department. His father also worked as a police officer before going back into the army after 911.
“You always hear about the negative of law enforcement and nobody ever says thank-you or give gratitude,” said Todd Tippett, Hardy’s father. “He came up with this and was like, ‘Dad can I make a flag,’ and I said that would be a fantastic idea and a good way to show appreciation and the brotherhood of the department …
“That thin blue line really represents what the meaning of serve and protect really stands for,” he added.
Laurinburg Chief of Police Darwin “Duke” Williams said that, when the department moves into the new city hall, they’re going to find a special spot for it, possibly along with a photo of Mike during his time with the Police Department.
“He (Mike) was a mentor to younger officers and he embraced all of us,” Williams said. “Now his grandson has given us this flag that we’re accepting in honor of his grandfather, who meant so much to this department.”
Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at kgandee@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com
