NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A joint effort to crack down on crime in Newport News begins Friday. The Newport News Police Department is joining Virginia State Police in several parts of the city in a combined force.
"I think the individuals who are going to get the win out of this is going to be the citizens of Newport News," Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said.
Over the course of six days, the two departments will work side by side in each precinct as they focus on high-occurring problems throughout the area.
"This will mainly consist of serving warrants, traffic stops, and overall community outreach," Drew said. "I'm sure we both have a lot to learn from both departments."
This combined effort is the result of a new state-wide initiative called "Operation: Bold Blue Line," which aims to support all law enforcement through increased training and better equipment.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the program in October earlier this year. It has the ultimate goal of improving lives not only for all Virginians, but to increase the number of officers in all police departments.
Drew said he does not expect the new program to solve crime overnight, but he believes it will be yet another tool at law enforcement's disposal.
"There is no one solution to reducing crime and we look at it every Monday and every Thursday and we all read the reports," Drew said. "I do think what it does is that it fosters relationships and partnerships and it is things to build on."
The partnership will last until Dec. 22.