New police station opens in Hull Street Rd. corridor
By Susan Nienow CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Lt. Terry Patterson (left), Zone 2 commander, and Maj. John Austin recently celebrated the opening of the new police station in Woodlake.

County residents can expect to see more police officers along the Hull Street Road corridor now that a new district police station has opened in Woodlake.

This community-based station is temporarily located at 6812 Woodlake Commons Loop while the county searches for a more permanent home somewhere along Hull Street Road. Open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, the station is phase three of the department's long range decentralization plan that divides the county into four zones for better police coverage.

"We want the citizens to feel that the police are part of the community," said Lt. Terry Patterson, Zone 2 commander. Zone 2 is currently the most densely populated area of the county and has the highest number of police calls for service. It includes Woodlake, Brandermill, Hampton Park, Deer Run and other areas south and west of Swift Creek Reservoir.

"Eleven years ago, we had 340 officers and one station. Decentralization was very important [as the county kept growing]," said Police Chief Col. Carl R. Baker.

The county now has about 500 officers who work out of four stations.

The community-based stations help reduce response times while also increasing police visibility. They also encourage citizen involvement since residents can call or stop by if they have a complaint.

Currently, there are two stations in the north end of the county and two in the south. The Midlothian district station, which opened in 1998, is at 20 North Providence Road, and the Chester district station at 2920 West Hundred Road opened in 2001. The main police station is at the intersection of Ironbridge and Lori roads near the county's government complex.

The Hull Street Road district office grand opening last week included the police department's Color Guard and remarks by County Administrator Lane Ramsey and Matoaca District Supervisor Renny Bush Humphrey.

State Senator Steve Martin commended the department on its progress and referred to it as one of the best police departments in Virginia.

Ramsey noted that the county has been looking for a permanent location for the Hull Street Road station for some time. Everything - including the window the desk officer sits behind - will be moved to the permanent location once one is found.

Until then, about 50 police officers, eight sergeants, a lieutenant and a desk officer, who will answer the phone, take reports from the public and deal with walk-ins, will work out of the Woodlake office.

The office's non-emergency number is 318-8448.