By Bill Mckelway
Richmond Times Dispatch
Armed with fresh statistics showing that Henrico County’s crime rate is dropping relative to population increases, the county’s new police chief-designate on Friday outlined a broad agenda that will focus on community policing, crisis response and minority recruiting.
Lt. Col. Douglas A. Middleton, a 38-year veteran of Henrico Police who was second in command since 1998, said he is prepared and eager to assume leadership of the 800-person department April 8.
Middleton’s selection was announced last week, the day before a brutal domestic slaying that was the third in a string of attacks on women in the county in recent weeks, including a fatal shooting and the severe wounding of a woman shot in the head by her husband.
As Middleton spoke to media yesterday, Gregory L. Nelson Jr., charged with the March 9 murder of his pregnant girlfriend, was being transported to Virginia from Florida, where he was arrested last Saturday.
“It pulled at my heartstrings when it came to my attention,” Middleton said of the death of Susana F. Cisneros, 24, who was slain and was nine months’ pregnant with Nelson’s child, according to her family.
Middleton, 60, said Henrico is moving quickly to upgrade its police force with crisis-intervention trainingto help officers address volatile domestic situations as well as mentally ill people engaged in threatening behavior.
He alsohopes to bring more women and minorities into the police department, an effort that Middleton said will dovetail with “boots-on-the-ground” community-policing efforts. He said Hispanic and black community leaders have stressed the importance of having officers visible and immediately available in their communities.
Specific numbers of women and minorities on the police force were not immediately available.
Middleton presented new statistical studies showing that while Henrico’s population has gone from 223,729 in 1991 to nearly 311,000 last year, the number of major crimes for those years has gone from 10,807 to 8,315.
Those reductions are reflected in almost every category of crime, with only larcenies and burglaries remaining somewhat static over the 20-year period.
Larcenies went from about 8,000 in 1991 to 6,302 last year, but spiked in 2008 at 8,228 and reached more than 10,000 in 1999.
Middleton said larceny reductions can be achieved if people simply lock their vehicles.
Middleton emerged as the new chief of police among 37 candidates from 18 states. He praised outgoing veteran Col. Henry W. Stanley Jr. as a mentor and trusted adviser.
Asked if Stanley had imparted any advice to him, Middleton quipped that words of advice had come his way from the chief almost every day for 18 years.
Middleton said he wants to project an image to patrol officers that he is approachable and promised to engage in ride-alongs with officers so they can tell him what they need to best do their jobs.
Middleton has lived in Henrico most of his life and stressed his community ties and close working relationship with county leaders.
He will earn $152,317 a year, leading a department whose budget stands at $66.7 million annually.
Copyright 2011 Richmond Newspapers, Inc.