The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is a full service local law enforcement agency providing service to approximately 145,699 residents and thousands of annual visitors to Stafford County, Virginia. The Department provides service through 286 dedicated employees, including 209 sworn deputy sheriffs. The Department conducts multiple activities to prevent crimes, engages in community policing efforts and activities, and strives for close, positive relationships with community members and organizations. The Department answers over 70,000 calls for service from the community annually.

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office employs a Homeland Security and Emergency Management Unit to create a stronger, safer, and more secure county by working with the community and citizens we serve as well as our regional, state, and federal partners to protect against the ever-evolving threats facing the region.

The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Unit is Stafford County’s primary local resource to guard against threats and help build a resilient community. The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Unit is divided into three groups: the Counterterrorism Information Center, the Technical Response Group, and the Emergency Services Group.

These three groups within the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Unit are designed for the collection of vital information to safeguard the community; a prepared response in the event of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive attacks; the protection of critical infrastructure facilities; and the investigation and deterrence of terrorist attacks.

Funds from this grant will be utilized to purchase a portable camera trailer. This piece of equipment is designed to be deployed wherever there are large crowds or gatherings of people for public events and functions. Currently, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office has one camera on a telescopic pole attached to the Command Bus that is utilized and the incident command location. This camera can be viewed from within the Command Bus to monitor the crowd for any suspicious behaviors, activities, or persons. This only provides one angle or view of the crowd so surveillance capacity is limited.

By purchasing a portable camera trailer, this would allow the agency to deploy a second camera on a telescopic pole that would be placed in a different location to allow a full view of the crowd or gathering of people. This would enhance the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office abilities to thwart acts of violence or potential terrorist activities.

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office has already researched the portable camera trailer from several different vendors. The portable camera trailer comes with two cameras on a retractable pole to allow approximately three hundred and sixty degree coverage from the camera trailer. Additionally each trailer has the ability to use solar panels for charging and comes with the ability for real-time monitoring which is critical when monitoring public events or large gatherings of people which could be targets for terrorist activities.
The portable camera trailer is a critical piece to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office’s terrorism preparedness.