Chesterfield Police 2001 Annual Report

Operations Support Bureau

The Operations Support Bureau manages the Police Training and Support Services Divisions and the Emergency Communications Center. The Bureau facilitates logistical support for both the Uniform Operations and Criminal Investigations bureaus and provides community programming to promote safety awareness and practices. The bureau continues to support the multimillion-dollar construction project of the Public Safety Training Complex located in Enon.

Police Training Division

The Police Training Division provides entry-level, in-service, specialized and recertification training and career development opportunities. The division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services training standards and maintaining state academy accreditation. The academy also extends regional training opportunities for Colonial Heights and Hopewell police departments.

Accomplishments

• Opened a state-of-the-art small-arms firing range at the Public Safety Training Complex. Features of the range include a 20-lane outdoor shooting range with timed and computer-controlled moving targets, a simulated lighting system, and an environmentally friendly “wet-bullet” recovery system-the first of its kind in the nation to be used in an outdoor setting
• Created Public Safety University, a regional educational partnership with the University of Richmond
• Trained and graduated 31 recruits from the 35th and 36th Basic academies.
• Graduated 41 citizens from the Citizen’s Academy
• Implemented a Motorist Assistance Program designed to help citizens with vehicle trouble
• Established a respiratory-and-wellness program

Support Services Division

The Support Services Division manages and incorporates the community services provided by Crime Prevention, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and the public schools partnership program Success Through Education and Proactive Policing (STEPP). The division also has responsibility for providing logistical support through the Property Section. Equipment, supplies and storage are provided to department personnel for operations.

School Resource Officers

The School Resource Officer program consists of two supervisors and 22 officers assigned to 10 high schools and 12 middle schools throughout the county. These school resource officers, serving a population of nearly 30,000 students, are responsible for general police duties at the schools, as well as instructing the students and staff.

Accomplishments

• Responded to 3,945 calls for service while counseling more than 2,300 students and delivering more than 1,000 presentations in our middle and high schools

Crime Prevention

The Crime Prevention Section consists of a supervisor, three crime-prevention specialists and one Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) specialist. Included within this section’s responsibilities are 289 active Neighborhood Watch programs, the Business Watch program and personal safety and prevention of workplace violence programs.

Accomplishments

• Presented 280 crime prevention programs to citizens and businesses of Chesterfield County
• Completed and broadcasted public-service announcements on seat-belt safety and child- safety seats. These announcements aired more than 2,000 times on 39 different channels

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design specialist employs CPTED concepts and principles in the evaluation and review of proposed and existing developments within the county.

Accomplishments

• Reviewed 375 plans, made 79 site visits, and prepared multiple brochures and articles for distribution throughout the county

Police Property Section

The Police Property Section acquires issues and maintains the hundreds of items of equipment necessary for the operation of the police department. The section also is responsible for the secure storage of all items of evidence collected during the investigations of crimes in Chesterfield County. This includes the destruction of evidence and contraband once the legal process has completed its examination and consideration of the evidence. The section also maintains the daily operations of the police fleet.

Accomplishments

• Handled more than 900 pieces of evidence per month
• Processed more than 700,000 pieces of procured materials annually
• Equipped three Basic Police Academy classes with all necessary equipment and supplies
• Completed four projects: Cruiser Decals Project, Non-Sworn Uniform Project, New Radio Project and the Motorist Assistance Project

Child Safety Office

The Child Safety Office consists of two full-time supervisors, 10 part-time school-crossing guards and 10 part-time child-safety officers. This office is responsible for providing the STEPP (Success Through Education and Proactive Policing) program to more than 23,000 students. Matters concerning personal safety, conflict resolution, responsible behavior and drug prevention are all covered in the STEPP program. Additionally, this office is dedicated to ensuring the safe passage of pedestrians at 13 school posts throughout Chesterfield County. The Child Safety Office provides instruction, information and manpower to issues and events related to child-safety.

Accomplishments

• Scheduled and conducted 4,313 STEPP programs in 36 elementary schools
• Conducted more than 200 mentoring sessions with potential at-risk students
• Participated in more than 300 modeling sessions with students to help foster responsible behavior
• Conducted the second year of the Craig W. Rath Memorial Scholarship Fund for which almost 3,000 fifth graders wrote letters to the chief of police explaining what they learned in the STEPP program. A $500 savings bond was awarded to one student.
• Participated in the countywide Use, You Lose campaign by providing instruction, T-shirts and stickers concerning drug awareness to 4,000 students

Emergency Communications Center

The Emergency Communications Center is jointly managed with the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services as an independent responsibility center. The center receives 911 emergency calls for police, fire, and emergency-medical services, processes the information and dispatches the appropriate public-safety responder.

Accomplishments

• Opened a new Emergency Communications Center in the Eanes-Pittman Public Safety Training Center in April. The center is equipped with a regional, digital-radio system.This new system enhanced services to county citizens and greatly increased the capabilities of public-safety personnel. Each department now has the ability to communicate directly with one another, as well as Henrico County and Richmond.

Animal Control Unit

The Animal Control Unit provides for the safety and welfare of our citizens by controlling unsupervised domestic animals and by protecting animals from inhumane treatment. Animal Control officers are responsible for the enforcement of state laws and county ordinances applicable to domestic animals. Additionally, the Animal Control Unit operates a shelter for the complete care of animals. The shelter and the Chesterfield County Humane Society partner to educate citizens on proper animal care and to increase adoptions.

Accomplishments

• Created a Web page for shelter animals to help promote adoptions
• The Chesterfield County Humane Society and Animal Shelter continue to support the Dog Walkers Program. County employees, CCHS volunteers and citizens walk dogs to help keep the animals happy and healthy
• Both the Animal Shelter and Chesterfield County Humane Society established a partnership with PETsMART. The two groups work together to bathe, groom and adopt animals
• Facilitated three rabies clinics
• Increased media coverage with several local publications to aid in the adoption of animals
• Enhanced the quality of service to Chesterfield County citizens. Animal-control officers can now sell dog licenses from their vehicles. Citizens have the option of purchasing licenses from animal-control officers or by visiting the county complex

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