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"At the crossroads of eroding values and a deteriorating economy, violence may flourish."
-- Congressman Tom Perriello
Full article follows...
Last week, an unspeakable tragedy shook Central Virginia. Christopher Speight is accused of killing eight people near his home in Appomattox County, including three teenagers and his four-year-old nephew.
The 24 hours surrounding these horrific events are frightening to say the least, but also a testament to the bravery and skillfulness of our Virginia police force.
Police forces from the entire region were mobilized. In all, more than 150 police officers were instrumental in an all-night manhunt that cornered the suspect and eventually prompted him to surrender.
In our small towns and rural communities with their relatively low crime rates, sometimes we can take our law enforcement officials for granted.
We owe these courageous men and women a huge debt of gratitude for their service every day.
This has not been the only time our communities have been shocked by violence in the past year.
In September of 2009, 20-year-old Richard Samuel McCroskey III was arrested for slaying four people, including a Longwood University professor, in Farmville.
Just a few weeks later, 14-year-old Lamonte "Coco" Stone was gunned down in apparent gang-related violence in Danville.
Last weekend, I joined with citizens of Danville in the "Stop the Killing" march to demonstrate that we as a community cannot continue to brush this problem under the rug.
Each life lost is not only a tragedy for the family members and friends of the victim, but for all of us as Virginians.
When we see news of a young person killed, we must respond with the same intensity as if it were our own child. There are problems we can solve as a community if we respond as a community.
Making sure our police officers have the tools and resources they need is a necessary part of fighting violence but we have to be willing to do the rest.
At the crossroads of eroding values and a deteriorating economy, violence may flourish.
We must continue to come together as a community - in the way Appomattox has this week - as citizens, law enforcement officials, and faith leaders to begin the healing and search out how to prevent the next tragedy from happening.
This year, our local sheriffs' departments are facing deep cuts as the state budget continues to shrink.
On the federal level, I'm fighting to continue funding for police officers and emergency personnel.
In April of 2009, I supported the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Improvements Act, which will give police officers the resources necessary to combat crime and keep our communities safe.
Overall in 2009, we directed more than $3.5 million to local law enforcement agencies in the 5th district to help stave off budget cuts. Most of these funds come from the stimulus bill, in addition to funding requests I made, such as $200,000 for increased interoperability among public safety communication channels in Henry County, Martinsville, and Franklin County.
Of course, making sure our law enforcement officers have the resources they need is only one part of the puzzle. The rest is about people: the training and dedication of our police force, how we in the community respond to acts of violence, and the values we share in this culture.
For now, let us all keep these victims and their loved ones in our prayers, and let us pray for wisdom and fortitude in how we will respond to acts of violence in our homes and communities.
Please feel free to contact me to share your concerns and ideas.
You may call 1-888-4-TOM4US (1-888-486-6487); write to 1520 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; or visit www.perriello.house.gov to sign up for my
weekly e-newsletter.
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/01/27/chatham/opinion/opinion11.txt
-- Congressman Tom Perriello
Full article follows...
Last week, an unspeakable tragedy shook Central Virginia. Christopher Speight is accused of killing eight people near his home in Appomattox County, including three teenagers and his four-year-old nephew.
The 24 hours surrounding these horrific events are frightening to say the least, but also a testament to the bravery and skillfulness of our Virginia police force.
Police forces from the entire region were mobilized. In all, more than 150 police officers were instrumental in an all-night manhunt that cornered the suspect and eventually prompted him to surrender.
In our small towns and rural communities with their relatively low crime rates, sometimes we can take our law enforcement officials for granted.
We owe these courageous men and women a huge debt of gratitude for their service every day.
This has not been the only time our communities have been shocked by violence in the past year.
In September of 2009, 20-year-old Richard Samuel McCroskey III was arrested for slaying four people, including a Longwood University professor, in Farmville.
Just a few weeks later, 14-year-old Lamonte "Coco" Stone was gunned down in apparent gang-related violence in Danville.
Last weekend, I joined with citizens of Danville in the "Stop the Killing" march to demonstrate that we as a community cannot continue to brush this problem under the rug.
Each life lost is not only a tragedy for the family members and friends of the victim, but for all of us as Virginians.
When we see news of a young person killed, we must respond with the same intensity as if it were our own child. There are problems we can solve as a community if we respond as a community.
Making sure our police officers have the tools and resources they need is a necessary part of fighting violence but we have to be willing to do the rest.
At the crossroads of eroding values and a deteriorating economy, violence may flourish.
We must continue to come together as a community - in the way Appomattox has this week - as citizens, law enforcement officials, and faith leaders to begin the healing and search out how to prevent the next tragedy from happening.
This year, our local sheriffs' departments are facing deep cuts as the state budget continues to shrink.
On the federal level, I'm fighting to continue funding for police officers and emergency personnel.
In April of 2009, I supported the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Improvements Act, which will give police officers the resources necessary to combat crime and keep our communities safe.
Overall in 2009, we directed more than $3.5 million to local law enforcement agencies in the 5th district to help stave off budget cuts. Most of these funds come from the stimulus bill, in addition to funding requests I made, such as $200,000 for increased interoperability among public safety communication channels in Henry County, Martinsville, and Franklin County.
Of course, making sure our law enforcement officers have the resources they need is only one part of the puzzle. The rest is about people: the training and dedication of our police force, how we in the community respond to acts of violence, and the values we share in this culture.
For now, let us all keep these victims and their loved ones in our prayers, and let us pray for wisdom and fortitude in how we will respond to acts of violence in our homes and communities.
Please feel free to contact me to share your concerns and ideas.
You may call 1-888-4-TOM4US (1-888-486-6487); write to 1520 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; or visit www.perriello.house.gov to sign up for my
weekly e-newsletter.
http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/01/27/chatham/opinion/opinion11.txt
