By Ashley McLeod, Staff Writer
Apr 21, 2014, 13:15
The Tri-Cities Regional Strike Force hit the streets last week for a neighborhood “walk and talk” to speak to community members on what they thought safety issues in the area were.
“It was to really engage the community and see that we are working in partnership together,” said Hopewell Police Chief John Keohane.
The strike force included local law enforcement officers from Prince George, Hopewell, Dinwiddie, Petersburg and Colonial Heights, as well as representatives from the state police department, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Corrections. The team went door to door, speaking to community members about safety in the community.
“We call this a neighborhood walk, but it’s really about trying to meet people in their own neighborhoods and hoping they will speak freely to us in reference of any issues or concerns they might have,” Keohane said.
The strike force visited two communities, Stratford Woods in Prince George, and Piper Square in Hopewell. The walk gave the team an idea of what the communities’ worries were, while allowing the residents to meet the law enforcement protecting them.
Keohane said that a common problem addressed by members of the community was the number of people who speed through the area. Keohane also said that overall, the community members were mostly happy with the work done by the police forces.
Also present was Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Tonya Vincent, who came as a representative of Brian Moran.
Thursday’s walk and talk is the second to take place by the strike force, the first occurred in Petersburg and Dinwiddie.
