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Onley police add new officer; chief flags vehicle and enforcement questions
Summary
Chief E. J. Long reported Officer Owen Lewis started with the department and conducted traffic enforcement (a DUI on his first day); the chief said finding a fifth full‑time officer may require an extra patrol vehicle and that the possibility of an additional $200 speeding fine needs further research.
Chief of Police E. J. Long told council Officer Owen Lewis has begun his duties and has been active in traffic enforcement and reporting improvements; Long said Lewis "had a DUI in town on his first day of work." Officer Eder has signed his employment offer and is expected to start before the end of July.
Long said interest from other certified and uncertified candidates continues, but adding a fifth full‑time officer could require an additional patrol vehicle. He reported contacting Town of Eastville officials to explore used vehicle availability and said he will meet a representative to gather more details. Council members noted that buying an extra vehicle also requires outfitting costs; Councilman Jason Campbell cautioned that procuring a sixth vehicle would require additional equipment and expense beyond the chassis.
The chief and the town attorney discussed whether a Painter sign that references an additional $200 fine for speeding has produced any enforceable tickets. Carl Bundick said the sign has existed for a long time but he has not seen tickets written under it and believes the decision to apply such a fine has largely been left to officer discretion. Chief Long said VDOT contact Chris Isdell suggested the town may need to make a formal request or resolution to pursue an additional fine in certain locations.
Town Manager Jamye Salazar directed officers to run 30–60 minutes of traffic enforcement each shift on Pennsylvania Avenue and East Main Street, adding that "the directive is not negotiable" and that enforcement activity should be recorded on officers' daily logs.
