New police chief to keep faith partnership program - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

It's been one month since Chief Ray Tarasovic took over the job of leading the Richmond Police Department. Many residents still want to know if this new chief will keep some of the former chief's programs.

An initiative that uses faith leaders to bridge the gap between communities and the police department was former Chief Bryan Norwood's baby. With the change in leadership, its future was uncertain, but we've learned that's no longer the case.

Leaders of the faith community are breathing a sigh relief.

"I can assure our communities that this is a program that they will continue to see in various forms," asserted Richmond Police Capt. John Hall.

He explains new Chief Ray Tarasovic has given them marching orders to make sure the faith partnership is here to stay.

"For us it has opened doors to certain areas of the community the police department probably couldn't go on their own," Hall added. "It's brought other people to the table that we probably could not have brought because of the strengths of the affiliations that our faith leaders have. They're able to bring more people to the table."

The program isn't just going to continue to exist; it's actually expanding from projects like in Hillside Court, where it first started, to other areas throughout the city.

Pastor Larry Miles says this gives both the police department and the faith community an opportunity to affect more lives.

"They can expect to see more faith leaders on the street before, during and after crime," he told us. "They can expect to see faith leaders partnering with other business entities and other schools, everything."

And leaders hope they'll also continue to bring down city crime stats.

"We're moving forward and we're enjoying the journey," Miles added.

Those faith leaders are scheduled to meet with Chief Tarasovic at headquarters Tuesday.

Copyright 2013 WWBT NBC12.  All rights reserved.