Resident urges supervisors to approve sheriff's request for traffic and civil process deputies

Chris Rizzo, a New Kent resident and former law-enforcement officer, told the New Kent County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 14 that he supports Sheriff Veil Bailey’s request for additional staff and urged the board to approve the full staffing request.

Rizzo said he sent each supervisor a letter in September and asked the board to fund two part-time civil process and court deputies and six traffic deputies. He said civil process and court coverage is a constitutional requirement and that failing to add positions will force the sheriff’s office to rely on overtime and redirect patrol resources. He added that an effective traffic unit reduces crashes, frees patrol for other duties and handles road incidents and closures.

Why it matters: The sheriff’s staffing levels affect response times, overtime costs and the department’s ability to perform constitutionally required duties. Rizzo said revenue from citations often offsets traffic-unit costs in the agencies where he worked.

Rizzo also described his background in traffic units (40 years in law enforcement, 20 with Fairfax County Police and 20 with Loudoun Sheriff’s Office) and said current recruitment trends mean the county must offer competitive pay and benefits to attract qualified applicants. He asked the board to treat the request with urgency because hiring and training take time.

Board members did not take immediate action during the public-comment period; the comment was entered into the record for the board’s consideration during budget deliberations.