Review of Farmville Police Department Assessment

As Members of the University Community, you all have a vested interest in the law enforcement of the local Prince Edward / Farmville & Longwood Community. The University Judicial Board, a branch of the Student Government Association, works closely with local law enforcement agencies with cases and other incidents that involve student code of conduct enforcement and litigation. The Longwood University Police Department and Office of Public Safety also work closely with the Farmville Police Department on investigations and projects. It is important to understand the many challenges, problems, and potential changes that the Farmville Police Department is going through.

During the late portion of last semester, Chief Greg E. Jarvies (ret.) conducted a public forum with Col. R. R. Beach, Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety of the University, to gather input regarding the Farmville Police Department. The Farmville Town Council tasked Mr. Jarvies to compose an organizational assessment of the Farmville Police Department. Mr. Jarvies used his professional knowledge, serving as Chief of the Chapel Hill Police Department in North Carolina, and in many other law enforcement positions, to compose the document. In late April, Mr. Jarvies released his findings to the public.

In his executive summary, Mr. Jarvies states that “the Farmville Police Department lacks sufficient and critically needed direction, guidance and accountability.” He also cites that the environment of Farmville police officers and Longwood University students is adversarial. “Lines of communication and authority within the department are unclear and confusing.” Mr. Jarvies goes on to state that serious legal ramifications could result in if the Farmville Police Department does not change.

During Mr. Jarvies report on Organization Systems, he cites that “the department’s policies and procedures manual is incomplete, out of date, and poorly constructed.” He goes on to comment that there is no mission statement or code of values. He also states that the Use of Force Policy requires that Police Officers only report the use of force when such force results “in or is alleged to have resulted in injury or death.” According to Jarvies, the use of pepper spray does not need to be reported to the Department, which Jarvies sees as a problem.. Jarvies analyzes that “discipline is applied inconsistently and unfairly, dependent on the management and leadership styles of various supervisors.”

Mr. Gerald Spates, the Town Manager of the Town of Farmville expressed an obligation to the Farmville and University community of the Town’s Police Department. Town Manager Spates has offered that he was pleased that the report delivered to the Town Council was made public, and that the report gave residents and community members a view of the department. Spates commented that it has given Town Police Officers a glance of the perception of them. Community policing, which is highlighted in the report as lacking in the Town, is one of the goals that the Police Department, he stated, will be working on this year. He also commented that new technology will be incorporated within the Department, such as in-car cameras, to enhance the safety and accountability of claims and procedures with residents and the department’s officers.

Mr. Spates also offered that all of the Police Department’s procedures, policies, and standards have been visited and revised since the release of the report. He also commented that that have been vast changes in scheduling within the Department, supervisory procedures and positions have been created for all shifts as well. He stated that it is a very positive thing that the report was released to the public, and it is good to assess the situation and to improve and progress the Department.

For further reading, copies of the full assessment of the Department are available on the Student Government Association Website: http://lancer.longwood.edu/org/sga/, in the Office of the Town Manager located at the corner of High and Main streets, in the Office of the Student Government Association, and in the Office of the Judicial Board.

For questions regarding this memorandum, please contact SGA President Cam Patterson at SGAPresident@live.longwood.edu or Judicial Board Chairman Jordan Miles at Thomas.Miles@live.longwood.edu.

Cam Patterson
President, Student Government Association

T. Jordan Miles
Chairman, University Judicial Board