City Should Put More Cops on Neighborhood Beats: Study

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- A new study of the city's Police Department praises it as "well-run," but calls for putting more officers on the street to beef up its community policing efforts.

The study, conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), recommends moving more officers to neighborhood beats. This could be done "by adding three patrol officers and two traffic officers per shift, and by shifting some specialized positions to general patrol," according to a city government statement. 

This reshuffling would result in adding a total of 18 new patrol officer positions and five new traffic officers, the IACP said. The study also calls for efficiency improvements in the department's investigations division while maintaining current staffing levels.

The Alexandria City Council received the IACP study at its Tuesday meeting. The study was commissioned by the city as the first step in developing a long-term police staffing plan.

The IACP concluded that the Police Department is “a well-run agency, with conscientious staff" that “provides a high-quality service that residents greatly appreciate,” according to the city statement. But it recommends that the department should give officers more time "to proactively engage with residents and businesses beyond responding to calls for service."

To read the IACP study, please click here.