Crossville Police Department Volunteers In Policing (VIP) members introduced at council meeting

The Crossville police department is currently training the first 10 members of their VIP or volunteers in policing class. 

Each volunteer participates in 40 hours of training that will allow them to assist the department with a variety of non-confrontational duties including school crossings, traffic control for parades and accidents, vacation house and welfare checks. Volunteers are not armed. After the two weeks of training the volunteers will have learned patrol techniques, report writing, radio procedures, finger printing, driving new V.I.P. patrol vehicles and many other aspects of police operations.

Members of the class were introduced at the August city council meeting and include Teresa Biebel, Charles Chafins, Robert Coy, Carl MacLead, Richard Oran, Edith Petty, Barbara Prichard, Brooke Salisbury, Jerry Wells and George Willis.

Interim Crossville police chief Mark Rosser, right, stands with 9 of the VIP program participants.

Letter to the community from Crossville police chief Mark Rosser

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CITIZENS OF CROSSVILLE FROM INTERIM POLICE CHIEF MARK ROSSER:

To our community:

We at the Crossville Police Department are thankful for our relationship with you. We live, work, shop, and dine among you. Our children go to school with your children. We attend churches and community events with you. We are as much a part of our community as you are. We, like you, are proud to be a part of the Crossville community.

Like you, we also have a calling. Unfortunately in our society there are those who prey on the innocent. There are those who steal, who injure, who kill, who target our children and the elderly. We deal everyday with the darkness that you don’t see. We stand ready to respond in your moment of fear. We share in that moment when you return home and feel violated as you realize someone has broken into your home. We are there with you when you lose a loved one to senseless violence. We do our best to preserve life and property, including that of those who would do others harm. We are by no means perfect, but we must remain peacemakers, even when our own blood boils. We accept that we must hold ourselves to a higher standard to maintain your trust, and we cherish and protect that trust.

Recent events leading up to and including the slaying of the five police officers in Dallas have further illustrated the need for unity in a world where divisiveness and hate are so pervasive. Yes, it makes us angry. We are not superhuman. However, we will continue to protect our relationship of trust with you. We will not let recent events change or dictate who we are or what we stand for.

When a citizen is approached by a law enforcement officer who is merely responding to a call for service, and that citizen feels like the officer’s actions are unjustified or unprofessional, resisting or challenging that officer on the street is neither a proper nor effective way to air that grievance. The proper avenue is to file a complaint with your Police Chief, or to address the issue to the court.

As your Chief, my office will always have an open door policy for the citizens to redress any grievances.

We truly appreciate the support that our community has shown us, and we thank you for helping us as we strive for a better community.

Sincerely,

Mark Rosser, Chief of Police