The Shadow
BROOKNEAL, Va. (AP) – For Brookneal’s police force, few days this year have been average.
The department, which began the year with a chief, a sergeant and an officer, hit a difficult patch in January when former police chief Ricky Cousins resigned after he was charged with petit larceny in Lynchburg.
In April, acting chief Brian Carr left after his arrest on a grand larceny charge following an investigation. Then, after working alone for months, Officer Scott Earhart resigned in October to take a job elsewhere.
The town went without police for a few days until its newly hired chief, Ricky Baldwin, could assume the role.
Baldwin has been in law enforcement for 36 years, beginning his career at the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office where he served for 29 years, before heading to the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.
Baldwin said he thought a lot about the job offer before he accepted the position.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Baldwin said. “In the past, a lot of bad things happened with this police department. I thought a lot about how I didn’t want my name associated with that.”
But after giving more thought to the town of about 1,200 in the south end of Campbell County, he decided he could be a positive force in getting the police department up and running again.
“I feel like Brookneal is a good town,” Baldwin said. “With all the problems it’s had in the past, I’m able to make a difference with my experience and training.”
Baldwin began in Brookneal on Oct. 19 after town council members unanimously voted to hire him.
“The recommendations on him are, without exception, 100-percent positive,” Councilman Richard Adams said when he presented the motion to hire Baldwin. “His personality, demeanor and goals are right in concert with what we’ve been looking for.”
The town had been searching for a chief and officers for eight months before hiring Baldwin.
Baldwin has been rebuilding the tiny department from scratch, beginning with hiring new officer, Billy Mitchem.
Mitchem, a former Danville Police officer with about two years of experience, moved to Brookneal after taking the position.
“I like the chief,” Mitchem said. “He’s good to work with and the people are good to work with.”
Baldwin said he wants to hire another officer once he can get funding approval from the town council. That would help with scheduling and coverage when another officer takes time off.
When there isn’t a Brookneal officer working, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office answers calls in the town.
Baldwin said the department responded to five felony complaints in November for crimes including shoplifting and embezzlement. Three of those were solved.
December has been a quieter month, Baldwin said. Perhaps, he said, that is a reflection of having a department that is operational once again with two officers patrolling.
Baldwin sees the job partially as a community relations position. As he and Mitchem develop a rapport with those in the community, they learn more about the problems that need to be addressed.
Baldwin has been making his way to the various businesses in town, introducing himself. He also hopes to start a monthly meeting in the spring to talk with people about various scams and other crimes they may need to be aware of.
Baldwin said the town’s residents have been very welcoming, and one sent him a plant to decorate his desk.
“They feel comfortable with the police department,” he said.
“They feel like it’s on its way back to where it should be.”
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Information from: The News & Advance, http://www.newsadvance.com/
