PETERSBURG, Va. -- The Petersburg Police are putting a tried and true community policing initiative back on the streets.
A four-person bike patrol and substation opened on Friday and it comes at a time when police headquarters could soon be at a new location.
"I love the idea that we're going to have a bike patrol here in town," Susan Steward, a Petersburg community member, said. "To be able to see our police officers on bikes, to get to know their community members, I think it's amazing."
"It makes the police officers and police department more accessible to the citizens," Renee Pulliam, who works with Market Street Lofts, said.
The new substation is located inside Market Street Lofts in downtown Petersburg.
"That will allow us to have a footprint right here in our northwest corridor of our city," Petersburg Police Chief Travis Christian said.
The lofts opened in Petersburg about a year ago.
"It definitely makes me feel safe knowing that we're going to be seeing police coming and going and in the area and around. Definitely makes me feel safe being a resident here," Brittney Gupton, a resident at the lofts, said.
The location was chosen with the hopes of reducing crime in the area.
"We responded to 2,222 calls for service, right here in our northwest corridor in just a few short blocks," Christian said.
This new location will be even closer to the crime area if the Petersburg Police headquarters relocate to the old Social Services building.
"We may be possibly, in the near future, relocating our police headquarters to the Farner's Street corridor of our city," Christian said. "So to maintain and keep a footprint right here in this location is a very important thing for us."
Right now, the bike patrol will consist of four officers and will focus on the northwest corridor.
The number of officers in the bike patrol is expected to grow as is the number of police substations.
As for this first one, Thalhimer Realty Partners, the owners of the building, have experience with substations.
"We've had great success previously and I know we'll have it here in Petersburg as well," Pulliam said.
The bike patrol will operate on various days at different times.
As far as moving the headquarters for the Petersburg Police, the move has been approved but they are waiting on renovations at the old social services building to be completed.
