Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, October 26, 1995                   TAG: 9510260023
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WHAT ABOUT COMMUNITY POLICING?

Q: What are your plans for getting citizens better acquainted with the officers that are taking care of law enforcement in their area? - Anita Lilly, Blacksburg.

Lilly's question was specifically directed to Garnett Adkins, who was the first candidate to stress having regular community meetings. Because all four sheriff's candidates have stressed community-oriented policing, the question was posed to everyone.

Garnett Adkins, Independent: Besides community meetings, Adkins said that if If elected, his deputies will have "citizenship cards" they will need to fill out. "On an eight-hour shift, I want the deputies to get out and get to know the people in the community," he said.

Deputies will be told to pick a residence at random, stop and go to the house and talk to a person there. On the cards, they will note the person's name, address, the time and the citizen's comment or complaint.

Adkins will collect the cards at the end of the month, review them, act on the comments and complaints and follow up with the citizens.

Doug Marrs, Republican: He hopes that if elected sheriff, the county's clubs and organizations would invite him to meetings to speak often, whether there was a specific problem or not, to encourage communications.

Marrs said he would also drop by fire departments to ask volunteers how communications with the county sheriff's office is going, whether emergency calls are being dispatched correctly and what the Sheriff's Office can do to help them.

Jerry Olinger, Democrat: He wants to increase patrols in rural areas. He would expand Neighborhood Watch meetings and regularly have deputies attending them. Olinger would send out questionnaires to residents to see what they want at community meetings.

O.P. Ramsey, Independent: "They're going to see me," Ramsey said. He would "continue speaking to groups, not just during election year."

He also plans to use the news media to regularly get "crime blotter" type information out to citizens. He also plans to put suggestion boxes throughout the county and, like Adkins, plans to have deputies fill out forms noting contact with citizens and any comments they have about law enforcement in their community.

To ask a question of the Montgomery County sheriff or commonwealth's attorney candidates, come to the candidates forum tonight at 7 at Falling Branch Elementary School in Christiansburg. Index cards will be provided for citizens who want to write questions to the candidates. A moderator will ask the questions.