Experience Petersburg: September 2020 Recap

On September 29, 2020, the Petersburg Bureau of Police received an award recognizing their accreditation by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC).

This marks the first time in the 210-year history of Petersburg Police that the department will be fully accredited. The accreditation process is typically a three-year process from the initial application through the final audit.

To receive accreditation, the standards board requires that law enforcement agencies comply with 190 standards. These standards cover operations, administration, and training, in addition to other areas. State accreditation is the best measure of an agency’s compliance with professional law enforcement standards, as determined by the VLEPSC.

Police Chief and Deputy City Manager for Public Safety, Kenneth Miller, announced during the press conference that he will be retiring this November.

While original design plans for the St. Andrew Street Bridge date back to 1923, the Federal Bridge Registry lists the year built as 1935. The bridge was replaced with the current structure in 1968. The existing bridge that carries St. Andrew Street over Lieutenant Run was closed to traffic in 2006 due to advanced deterioration that reduced the structural capacity.

On September 21, 2020, the City of Petersburg held a groundbreaking for the St. Andrew Street Bridge replacement project. The replacement bridge structure will be a durable, low-maintenance structure consisting of concrete beams and deck supported on new abutments with the existing stone walls to remain in place. The new bridge will maintain the existing lane widths and will include a sidewalk on the north side of the bridge. Construction of the new bridge is scheduled to begin by December 2020.

The project is estimated to be completed within 12 months. The cost for this project is about $1.3 million and is funded from the Street Operations Urban Allocations Fund.

National Night Out in Petersburg will be held on October 6, 2020 from 6-8pm. Those interested in participating should contact Cpl. Hernandez at 804-732-4222 or jhernandez@petersburg-va.org.