Crime & Safety

Ask an Officer: Playing in the Street, Strip Searches, Sworn Officers

Your questions answered by Prince William County Public Information Officer Jonathan Perok.

If you have questions for the Prince William County police department, we'll pass them along to Officer Jonathan Perok and First Sgt. Kim Chinn, public information officers with the department.

Questions can be asked anonymously. Submit your questions to us via e-mail at laurenj at patch.com, by posting a comment on this article, or by sending us a Tweet or a message on our Facebook page

Question:

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Can children play in the street? I see kids playing ball, riding skateboards and bikes all the time. I thought skateboarders and bike riders had to follow the same rules of traffic? Skateboarders, laying down on their boards, are the most dangerous. 

Answer:

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To answer the first part of your question – according to county code section 13-408a, “It shall be unlawful for any person to play in or on a highway, other than upon the sidewalks thereof.”

To answer the second part of your question – according to county code section 13-375 a bike must follow the same rules as a vehicle. I do not believe skateboarders fall under that same category but can be classified as a toy and would fall under the aforementioned code section above, 13-408b, “No person shall use any toy vehicle on the roadway of any highway that (i) has a speed limit greater than 25 miles per hour, (ii) has more than two travel lanes, or (iii) is located outside a residence district as defined in Code of Virginia, § 46.2-100.”

Question:

In light of the recent Supreme Court decision what is the policy of the Prince William Police as to when they perform a strip search on a detainee?   

Answer:

It is generally prohibited for officers to conduct strip searches. However they are allowed under certain circumstances in accordance with the law and our general orders.   

Question:

How many sworn officers are assigned to the Patrol Division? Do these numbers meet the recommended staffing levels set by the Virginia Association of Police Chiefs, or the Fraternal Order of Police? How are staffing numbers (in terms of population comparison) compared to Fairfax County, Stafford County, or other surrounding jurisdictions?

Answer:

Our total department sworn staffing for FY 2012 is 569. Attached are the Chief’s staffing comments and budget presentation to the Board of County Supervisors this year. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.