Additional Units Patrolling Hanover's Retail Areas

Nov. 24, 2009

During the holiday season, the Sheriff’s Office is taking extra steps to protect citizens and visitors in Hanover’s retail areas.

Starting November 27 and continuing through December 31, the Uniform Patrol Division will be supplemented by several other units in the daily delivery of services to high-traffic areas. The intent is to establish a strong presence aimed at deterring criminal activity, efficiently control traffic flow, quickly respond to calls for service and identify and apprehend violators.

The increased uniform presence will include Reserve Deputies, a dedicated group of highly trained volunteer law enforcement officers who will conduct high visibility patrols during the peak evening shopping hours. In addition, all of the Sheriff’s D.A.R.E. and School Resource Officers will be re-assigned from their school duties during the Christmas break to patrol the retail corridors. These officers will be patrolling in vehicles and on foot. 

A small team of specially trained deputies will also be conducting patrols on mountain bikes. Members of the Bike Patrol Unit will be riding in the parking lots and along the corridors of the retail areas. Due to their method of travel, these officers will be able to move quickly in congested areas, while remaining very approachable by citizens.

Through a grant from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, the Sheriff’s Office will also provide extra officers to ensure the safety of Hanover’s roadways. These saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints will be conducted by deputies to identify and apprehend intoxicated and reckless drivers.

And for aN 8th year, the Sheriff’s Office will count on the services of approximately 40 dedicated Hanover citizens who make up the Volunteer Citizens Courtesy Patrol. These citizens, adorned in fluorescent green vests emblazoned with “Hanover Volunteer Courtesy Patrol,” will be visible in shopping centers from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. They will be equipped with cell phones and note pads and will serve as additional eyes and ears of the Sheriff’s Office, as well as ambassadors to citizens and visitors.

“We are extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated corps of citizens who graciously sacrifice their personal time in order to provide such a valuable service to those who live, work and shop in Hanover County,” said Colonel V. Stuart Cook, Sheriff.
 
Last year, the volunteers logged nearly 350 hours of active patrol time walking in and around retail areas, greeting citizens and meeting business owners and employees.  They are all graduates of the Sheriff’s Citizens Police Academy, which is a prerequisite for participating in this program.  Anyone interested in learning more about this program is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (804) 365-6110.
 
This strategy is based on an analysis of crime incident data and calls for service that indicate geographic areas and time frames that historically have problems during the holiday shopping season. This information will be used to assign resources by location, day of the week and time of day based on where their presence would be most effective in deterring criminal activity.

As an additional resource to the community, the Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Unit conducts safe shopping programs and will be glad to share crime prevention tips for the upcoming holiday season. For more information, call (804) 365-6110.