Chesterfield Police 2003 Annual Report

Uniform Operations Bureau

The Uniform Operations Bureau is divided geographically into North and South Districts. The UOB commander and staff are housed at the police department in the county government complex on Iron Bridge Road. The North District is housed at the Midlothian District Station on Providence Road. The South District is housed at the Chester District Station located on Route 10 near the village of Chester. Personnel assigned to the bureau are responsible for patrolling their designated beats and, through the department's community-policing philosophy, prevent and deter crime. Uniformed officers also have the responsibility of enforcing all traffic laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and investigating all motor-vehicle crashes. This year the bureau developed and implemented the Regional Pursuit Policy that included training for area police supervisors. This policy has been a joint effort to foster a better understanding between Richmond area police agencies and to incorporate key safety measures in joint operations.

The Traffic Accident Reduction Team and the Motorcycle Squad work together under the supervision of a sergeant. These officers vigorously enforce traffic laws throughout the county, as well as supervise special events. Team members strive to educate citizens about safe driving practices through national campaigns like Smart, Safe and Sober and Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety. Traffic fatalities in the county saw a 38% reduction in 2003.

The Community Policing Unit embraces a proactive philosophy in which the police and the community partner to address quality-of-life issues and impact crime. The emphasis focuses on partnership, problem solving and crime prevention. This approach requires our officers to focus on the problems in their beats and use whatever community assets are available to reach a solution. Often this involves county agencies other than the police department. Begun in 1996, our efforts are most visible in eight locales within the county: Meadowbrook/Meadowdale, the Jeff Davis corridor, Bermuda Run/Tinsbury, Ettrick, Cloverleaf Mall, Rollingwood/Squire Hill, the eastern Midlothian Turnpike corridor and Chesterfield Towne Center. Officers assigned to these areas focus on the deepest underlying conditions that are amenable to intervention and coordinate efforts to eliminate factors that contribute to crime and disorder.

The Street Drug Enforcement Unit targets street-level drug use and dealing. Unit members maintain a close working relationship with the Investigations Bureau. The unit made 918 arrests and seized more than $61,000, 21 firearms and 19 vehicles related to the distribution of drugs.

The Aviation Unit is a cooperative program involving Chesterfield and Henrico counties and the City of Richmond. The three localities contribute personnel, equipment and financial support to the unit. The unit responds to calls for service, such as photo requests, airborne surveillance of pursuits and investigations, assists in arrests, conducts property checks, locates stolen property, locates missing persons and transports personnel throughout much of the country. They are also called upon to transport personnel and prisoners during extradition of prisoners. They logged in more than 2,600 flight hours last year.

The K-9 Unit provides officers with one of the best non-lethal aids in the prevention and detection of crime. Police dogs are trained by handlers to search buildings and areas for criminals, missing persons, narcotics and evidence. The dogs are capable of pursuing and apprehending criminals with the minimum amount of force. The unit responded to 476 calls for service.

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