By CHAD COOPER
The Town of Grundy Police Department has implemented a new policy prohibiting officers from wearing face coverings while performing their duties except under limited circumstances, Police Chief Seth McGlothlin told the Grundy Town Council during its July 14 meeting.
McGlothlin said the policy was adopted to comply with Senate Bill 352, which took effect July 1, and guidance issued by the Virginia Department of Justice Services and the Office of the Attorney General.
“The policy addresses the device covering policy for officers,” McGlothlin told council members. “That policy was directed by DCJS along with the Attorney General’s Office to meet the new regulations of Senate Bill 352 that went into effect July 1.”
Under the policy, law enforcement officers generally may not wear face coverings while on duty except for medical reasons and other exemptions outlined in the policy. McGlothlin said all officers have been trained on the new requirements.
In his monthly report, McGlothlin said the department handled 92 calls for service during the reporting period, including 27 outside the town limits. Officers also conducted 62 traffic stops, issued 33 summonses, completed 29 incident reports, made eight arrests, served eight criminal papers and investigated one reportable motor vehicle crash.
McGlothlin also updated council members on upcoming training opportunities for department personnel.
He said he and Officer Chapman will attend Internal Affairs Investigator School on July 21-22, while Officer Dale will attend Taser Instructor School on July 27-28 in Mooresville, North Carolina.
The chief also announced that Shop-with-Cop will host its annual bingo fundraiser on Aug. 1.
McGlothlin said the town’s Independence Day fireworks celebration was generally successful despite attendance appearing lower than in previous years.
“The crowd was a lot lower this year,” he said, noting that while areas around Walmart and the Community Center remained busy, attendance elsewhere appeared to be down, possibly because of the extreme heat.
The chief also informed council members that a proposed relocation of the regional law enforcement training academy to Exit 35 in Chilhowie was recently approved by the academy’s governing board.
McGlothlin said the proposed project, which could take about five years to complete, would increase travel time for the Town’s officers attending training by approximately 15 to 20 minutes. He also noted membership costs for participating agencies could increase from the current annual rate of about $450 per officer to nearly $1,000 depending on grant funding and construction costs.
Following the police report, Town Maintenance Supervisor Tony Stiltner updated council members on operations within the public works department.
Stiltner said the department continues to work to resolve problems with equipment used in the town’s garbage collection system, including issues with a compactor that has been running continuously due to its size. He said the town has been working with PACOR to identify a solution that could eliminate the need for additional repairs.
He also discussed efforts to address a resident’s concerns about garbage collection, explaining that adjustments have been made to improve pickup service and that the situation is being monitored.
