2020 Annual Report-Wintergreen Police

Totaling up all of the numbers in this chart comes up with 278. That single statistic signals how 2020 was a busier year than usual for the Wintergreen Police Department, and it does not count all of house and business checks, neighborhood patrols, and community contact Wintergreen Police officers made on a daily basis last year.

There was an increase in both persons and property crimes in 2020. The numbers cannot tell the complete story, but the good news is that numerous arrests were made and property was recovered. Many of these cases were solved through the hard and careful work of Wintergreen Police's Investigative Unit and the department’s Patrol Operations.

Throughout the year the department worked traffic operations in Wintergreen's valley and on the mountain areas. The department is committed to enforcing the community speed limit of 25 MPH. New technology that significantly improves the department’s capability to monitor, analyze, and address speeding issues was acquired in 2020.

The community was challenged with a much higher than normal bear season in 2020. Wintergreen Police saw more than double the number of calls for service regarding wildlife than in 2019. Partnering with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, the police worked to help educate the community about bear behavior. Humane methods to deter bear/human interaction were also put into place. Areas identified as providing food attractants (dumpsters) were fortified.

Three long-time members of the Wintergreen Police Patrol Section retired or left the organization in 2020. The department has recruited two new highly qualified officers but two positions remained unfilled at the end of the year.

This year the Wintergreen Police Department was reassessed and awarded its third formal reaccreditation. The department remains the only private police department accredited in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Looking ahead, we will remain committed to the citizens we serve. Every officer is striving to deliver the highest quality professional law enforcement service to the community. –Dennis Russell, Chief, Wintergreen Police Department, December 31, 2020