From left, the Rev. Cornelius Holmes (Essex NAACP Branch Political Action Chair), Tappahannock Police Chief Thomas Carter, Essex NAACP Branch President Hazel Hickman, Essex County Sheriff Arnie Holmes, and Virginia State Police Sergeant Grant Dye.
Representatives of several local law enforcement agencies gathered April 15 at First Baptist Church Tappahannock for a “meet-and-greet” with the public. The event was sponsored by the Essex Branch of the NAACP which is led by President Hazel Hickman.
On hand with their officers were Essex County Sheriff W.A. “Arnie” Holmes, Tappahannock Police Chief Thomas Carter, and Sergeant Grant Dye of the Virginia
State Police’s Area 2 office in Warsaw.
Officers fielded questions from the audience and — in some cases — detailed programs offered to help protect citizens.
The Rev. Cornelius Holmes, who serves as the political action chair for the Essex NAACP branch, told the gathering that he has been impressed how local law enforcement has been willing to speak with citizens and participate in programs such as the one held last week.
“Police officers and sheriff’s deputies are always there to help us,” he said.
TPD Chief Thomas Carter noted that in the event of emergencies the public should dial 911. Holmes noted that those calls are fielded by dispatchers in the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center. The dispatchers are responsible for contacting the correct agency to respond.
Holmes noted that the TPD responds to issues in Tappahannock with his office providing assistance. Issues in Essex County are handled by his office, Holmes explained. He noted that traffic crashes are investigated by the TPD in town and the State Police in Essex County. His office provides assistance to both agencies in those matters.
“We’ve always had a great relationship with the town police and the state police,” remarked Holmes, who has 37-years experience in local law enforcement. “You very seldom hear anything here about police officers not getting along. We work well together. If we all work together as a team, we get more accomplished, and that’s what we do.”
“One of the most important aspects of something like this is community engagement,” Chief Carter remarked. “We hear about building trust, and to do that it’s important for us to have a relationship with everyone in the community. When you have concerns, know who directly to go to in order to get answers. We’re working hard each and every day to attend community events like this…so we understand the dynamic of the community and any problems that may exist here.”
Dye was accompanied by Senior Trooper Andres Zavala.
“We appreciate you inviting us,” Dye remarked. “We don’t get many opportunities like this.”
“It does my heart very good to know you are all out there,” NAACP member Gina McGuire told the assembled officers.
“I’m so glad in Essex County that we have the cooperation between law enforcement and the citizens,” added the Rev. Holmes.
NAACP member Brenda Anderson-Diggs inquired about how local law enforcement addresses issues that may occur via cyber security threats.
“We’re prepared as far as the training we receive,” explained Captain Jason Hayes of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. “But, until an event occurs, no one can say they are fully prepared for anything.”
“Any intel we receive, we share it with surrounding law enforcement, the state police, and even our federal friends” added ECSO Major Jay Mitchell. “We have utilized federal (officers) and state police (officers). We always expect the worst and pray for the best in an outcome. We are always training physically and mentally to be prepared.”
Hayes added that the Sheriff’s Office leans heavily on input from the community.
It was also noted that the State Police Fusion Center plays a significant role in addressing criminal activity.
The Virginia Fusion Center (VFC) was created as a partnership between the Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Emergency Management to improve the Commonwealth of Virginia’s preparedness against terrorist attacks and to deter criminal activity.
“I’m proud to say that we stay on top of a lot of things and try to be proactive instead of reactive,” Mitchell added.
“Every state trooper is part of the tactical field force,” Dye noted. “That’s anything from mass events to field recovery. In addition to the Fusion Center, we have cyber security agents that work with the FBI. They deal with everything from terrorism to day-to-day matters.”
Fontella Calhoun, who works with the mentoring groups Boys to Men and Girls Rock, told the officers that those programs are always in need of law enforcement officers to interact with youth. She said topics that can be addressed include gun violence, bullying, and the rising trend of sexting among youth.
Other officers present included Captain Tim Johnson (operations commander), Andrew Trible (investigator), and Sergeant Scott Maltese (traffic/ operations supervisor), and Taylor Bennett (officer of the Tappahannock Police Department, and Jason Miller (deputy) of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office.
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