Making Virginia Safer

“Without the additional revenues proposed in Warner’s tax plan, sheriffs will be forced once again this year to absorb tremendous amounts of cuts where there is nothing else to cut. This has become a public safety concern throughout Virginia jails. I hope the General Assembly will do what is best for the commonwealth and what is in the best interest of public safety. Hopefully the General Assembly will step up to the plate, just as Warner has done, and do whatever it takes to make sure local jails and correctional facilities are funded so we can house the criminals who are being arrested and held every day.”

Robert McCabe, Norfolk Sheriff, 1/13/04

As Governor, Mark Warner fought hard to ensure that police, firefighters and other first responders have the tools and the resources they need to keep Virginians safe. From a new public safety radio system to more cops on the streets to enhanced efforts to deter children from violence and gang activity, Governor Warner prioritized scarce resources to public safety.

Providing the Resources to Fight Crime

In recent years, the Virginia State Police, Sheriff’s Offices, and other law enforcement agencies have faced significant challenges in recruiting, training and retaining enough officers to meet the demand for protecting Virginia’s citizens. Governor Warner’s 2004 budget reforms allowed Virginia to provide much-needed funding for law enforcement officials at the state and local level.

The Virginia State Police experienced its lowest turnover rate in history during 2005. In addition, Governor Warner’s strong support for law enforcement enabled the State Police to recruit and train 439 new state troopers during his four years as governor, resulting in the State Police having no vacancies among its sworn ranks for the first time in more than 30 years. At the end of the Governor’s term, there were 125 more troopers on Virginia’s roads than when he took office.

The Governor also prioritized funding for firefighters. The federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program provides grants to local governments to hire professional firefighters and recruit volunteer firefighters. The program requires matching funds from local governments, and in 2005, Governor Warner, working with the General Assembly, established a $250,000 fund to assist localities with their matching funds.

Providing State-of-the-Art Communications

When the Governor took office, the radio systems used by Virginia’s law enforcement agencies were so antiquated that they could not always be counted on in a true emergency. Law enforcement officers in one agency were sometimes unable to communicate with those in other agencies, complicating emergency response and hampering investigations. Governor Warner led the effort to make significant investments in the Statewide Agencies Radio System (STARS), a coordinated communications system that will be shared by the 22 state agencies that use two-way radio communication for their regular operations. The state-of-the-art system also allows first responders from multiple local and state agencies to communicate easily during a wide-scale emergency.

Combating Illegal Immigration

Recognizing the failure of the federal government to meet its commitments in curbing illegal immigration, Governor Warner took aggressive action to protect the integrity of state-issued ID documents and sharply limited the ability of illegal immigrants to access state-funded services.

In 2002, Governor Warner signed legislation that closed a loophole that allowed notarized residency and identity statements to be used to obtain driver’s licenses. This loophole was used by several of the 9/11 hijackers to get a license in Virginia. He also endorsed legislation that required government workers to verify the residency status for those applying for state jobs. That same year, Governor Warner worked with Virginia’s agribusiness industry to offer training to help employers check workers’ legal status during the hiring process.

In 2003, Governor Warner signed legislation requiring proof of legal residency before obtaining or renewing a driver’s license.

In 2004, Governor Warner approved legislation allowing state and local law enforcement officials to arrest and detain illegal immigrants already convicted of felonies and hold them for up to 72 hours without bond until federal agents arrive.

In 2005, Governor Warner signed legislation that banned illegal immigrants from receiving state benefits such as Medicaid and welfare, making Virginia the second state in the nation to introduce such legislation. Arizona was the first.

Fighting Gang Violence

In 2004, Governor Warner directed State Police to assemble a dedicated Strike Force to crack down on gang activity, and he provided significant additional resources to fight gang violence, including the addition of five new prosecutors dedicated to gang prosecutions. Governor Warner also directed state resources to focus on gang-avoidance activities to reach young people at risk of becoming involved in gangs. The Governor allocated $3 million in federal funds to 32 state and local entities to help prevent Virginia’s youth from joining gangs and to help kids who have already joined gangs before they commit serious offenses.

Making Kids Safer

Upon taking office in 2002, Governor Warner moved to initiate the AMBER Alert System for Virginia to immediately alert the public of possible child abductions. Through AMBER Alert, the State Police partner with other law enforcement agencies, state agencies, broadcasters, cable companies and utility companies to broadcast emergency messages to a wide audience quickly. Since Amber Alert became law in Virginia, law enforcement officials have successfully intervened in eight abductions and arrested the abductors.

The Warner Administration also put in place KIDsafe Virginia to reach out to children, their parents and schools to improve safety. This public-private partnership, funded through federal grants, corporate contributions, and in-kind services from state agencies, has distributed information about safety and crime prevention to thousands of families throughout Virginia.

Cracking Down on Methamphetamine

Recognizing that methamphetamine abuse was a growing problem in Virginia and throughout the country, Governor Warner issued an executive order requiring that ephedrine and pseudoephedrine – decongestants used in the manufacture of methamphetamines – be placed behind the counter in drugstores. His emergency action later was codified into law by the General Assembly. As a result, law enforcement officials reported a decline in the number of methamphetamine labs operating in Virginia.

Making the Roads Safer

After a decade of decline, alcohol-related deaths had started to increase once again when Governor Warner took office. The Governor proposed some of the toughest drunk driving laws in the nation. The Governor’s legislative initiatives, endorsed and supported by the Virginia MADD chapter and other traffic safety groups, included a “one-strike-and-you’re-out” law that required mandatory jail time for first-time DUI offenders if their blood alcohol content was 0.15 – or almost double the legal limit – or higher.

In 2003, the Governor’s leadership on the issue led the National Council Against Drunk Driving to call Governor Warner an “unsung hero” in the fight against drunk driving.