One of my chief concerns as your elected representative is preserving safe communities. I have worked closely with the community Police Officers to
promote the "Neighborhood Watch" programs and have regularly attended their meetings in my district. I welcome this opportunity to meet with constituents in their own backyards. During my tenure on the Board of Supervisors, the Henrico Police have assumed a more visible presence in your neighborhoods. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of uniformed patrol officers, individuals serving in those positions are now allowed to take home their police vehicles, and community policing has been successfully
implemented.
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The number of uniformed patrol officers has increased dramatically in the time since I joined the Board of Supervisors, and these individuals are now allowed to take home their police vehicles. "Community Police Officers" are assigned to Brookland District neighborhoods. These special officers establish relationship with people in these communities so the police may better serve them.
 To ensure that the
County's Division of Police is technologically proficient, I have supported the development of a state-of-the-art emergency communications system and the installation of mobile computer terminals in patrol cars. And, I am always proud to point out that Henrico County is one of only several counties in Virginia with a professional police department and an appointed chief of
police.
Recognizing that crime prevention is a shared responsibility between the County government and our citizens, I have supported the Chief of Police, Henry
Stanley's efforts to work closely with the neighborhoods to increase the presence and visibility of the uniformed police in our neighborhoods. According to Henrico
County's Division of Police, "Neighborhood Watch is the most  popular and successful of all crime prevention programs." This program brings citizens and police personnel together at the community level. In 1996, volunteers from
Henrico's Neighborhood Watch Programs joined forces with alumni of the Citizens' Police Academy to form the
County's first volunteer patrol group. These concerned citizens supplemented police coverage at our shopping malls during the holiday season to help ensure a safer environment for our shoppers. The effort was quite successful and has continued in each successive year since, at the request of Henrico
merchants.
A number of Neighborhood Watch groups have been established in the Brookland District during the past few years. I have made it a personal priority to attend Neighborhood Watch meetings whenever possible as they offer me the opportunity to talk to my constituents in their own backyards and receive direct community input. I am delighted that so many of our citizens have chosen to participate in this highly effective program and I look forward to its continued growth throughout the
County.
 Public safety also involves fire prevention and rescue. The County is fortunate to have a professional fire department offering emergency response services to businesses, schools, civic organizations, churches, and residents. I occasionally drop in on the fire stations located in the Brookland District to talk one on one with front line fire personnel. I closely monitor response times and service levels to ensure that the fire protection and emergency rescue needs of my constituents continue to be
met.
REGIONAL COOPERATION
Henrico County is involved in well over 100 cooperative efforts with other localities in our metropolitan area. These encompass a wide range of services. Perhaps the most prized example of regional cooperation to residents of the Brookland District is the Regional Jail. When I assumed elected office in 1987, I learned that the County’s mushrooming inmate population would necessitate the construction of a new jail. The prevailing sentiment by the County administration and its consultants was to locate this facility at the intersection of Hungary Spring and Parham Roads. After investigating this matter further and soliciting community input, I became highly concerned about the impact of another jail facility on nearby neighborhoods and businesses. My colleagues on the Board of Supervisors agreed with me that it would be prudent to explore other alternatives. As a result of a little tenacity and a great deal of negotiating Henrico Board of Supervisors succeeded in striking an agreement with Goochland and New Kent Counties for the construction of a regional facility at a former State prison site 42 miles east of the Henrico Government Center. This joint venture, which became a reality in 1996 with the completion of the final phase of the project, relieved the overcrowded conditions in the Henrico jail.
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