from Chief Dennis Russell

As unbelievable as it seems 2018 has come and gone. The Wintergreen Police Department has celebrated many milestones and would like to take this moment of reflection to share some of them with you. In May the Police Department celebrated our 40th anniversary. Lots of changes have occurred from that one room guardhouse to the state-of-the-art facility we have today. At a special meeting attended by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, all department officers were given an Oath of Office and presented with a 40th Anniversary Badge.

Community Services Program

Our continued goal at the WPD is to increase community services to our customers. Utilizing one of our most seasoned senior police officers, we began a Community Services Program to augment our reactionary style of law enforcement response. Officer Jeff Harris is available to discuss on a one-on-one basis tips and tactics to help reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime and improve quality of life concerns over becoming a crime victim.

Online Communications Increased

Continuing in our effort to educate and inform our community, the Police Department has established a
Facebook and Twitter presence on the Internet. Understanding that today’s individuals communicate
almost daily on these forms of social media, the agency recognized the importance of being a part of this digital world. Please take a moment to visit us and leave feedback, comments or just give us a thumbs up. More information is also available at our website: www.wintergreenpolice.org.

Dispatcher Training

To improve and enhance our dispatch capabilities for the community we serve, all dispatchers were certified in CPR and Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD). EMD is a systematic program of handling medical calls. Dispatchers, using locally approved guide cards, quickly and properly determine the nature and priority of the call, dispatch the appropriate response, then give the caller instructions to help treat the patient until the responding EMS unit arrives.

Stoney Creek Security

In September new cameras were installed at the intersection of Rodes Farm and Rodes Valley Drives. These cameras allow a dispatcher to observe, review, and collect information in the event a crime occurs. Plans for next year are to install a similar system on Monocan Drive near the entrance to Stoney Creek. These enhanced tools assist us in solving crimes and deterring criminal activity in our community.

Crimes Solved

It goes without saying that crime does exist within our community. This past year we investigated 31 reported crimes of which 23 were solved, giving us the highest clearance rate ever of 74%. This is a great accomplishment, keeping in mind that the FBI reported the clearance rate for property type crimes for 2017 to be 20.4%.

In 2019, the Wintergreen Police Department will continue to be responsive to the needs of our community. All members are committed to delivering the finest law enforcement services in an effort to improve quality of life for the customers we serve.