Recently hired Chief of Police Al Siebert spends his first 100 days making a full review of the Haymarket Police Department.
Siebert made his report to the Haymarket Town Council which consisted of a review of the department. The newly-appointed chief held audits and inventories of everything from making sure policies were up to date, to inventory of resources and equipment, and making changes to document filing which the chief had found to be problematic.
One of the main aspects of the report was a full review of the department policy to make sure they were up to date, conformed to current practices, and were accredited. Siebert reported that 80 policies were written generally but were hard to read and not easy to follow. The policies followed by the Haymarket Police Department were based on policies followed by police departments in Southwest Virginia which were adopted and accredited in 2016.
According to the chief, the department is currently updating the policies to make them current, easy to read and customized to Haymarket, a town located on Interstate 66 in Prince William County.
A full inventory of police personnel and equipment was also made, the results of which Siebert called "remarkable" in his report. Currently, the Haymarket Police Department has six full time officers and three part time officers that have an average of 15 years of experience which makes the department personnel one of the more experienced in the area. Siebert's assessment found that all of the officers have certifications in two or more fields of specialties.
The department also did an inventory of its equipment and found it all to be in good shape, Siebert announced that moving forward there would be semi-annual inspections of all police property to make sure that it all stays up to standards.
Siebert also held an inventory and audit of the department's evidence room as well as their procedures for documenting and labeling all items kept for evidence. The Chief's report found that all property and evidence were accounted for and standards are being met.
The department plans to procure a safe for extra security of valuables, drugs, and weapons, the department is also currently purging any property and evidence no longer needed.
One issue found by the audit was that the department's storage of internal documents was found to be problematic. Instead of keeping the documents on a central server, the department was found to instead use external hard drives to hold documents. Siebert reported that a new server would be installed and would be completed by the end of the month.
Siebert also reported that the department would also restart its Drone program, the Haymarket police does own a drone which could be used for assisting officers in search and rescue, traffic collision investigations, crime scene analysis, crowd monitoring, surveillance, town planning needs, structural issues, among other uses.
Siebert had wanted to get the program up and running in his first 100 days but complications such as a certification class officers needed for the program was canceled and damage to the drone itself delayed the program's relaunch.
Going forward Chief Siebert wants to have plans for department budgets that look towards the next five to ten years and create development plans for the officers for advancement. All these will help to provide quality service and engagement to the community according to the chief.
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Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), the second-largest school division in Virginia, announced the closure of all schools and offices for Monday, January 6, 2025, due to a Winter Storm Warning. The announcement, posted on the division’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, “Due to Winter Storm Warning, all Prince William County Public Schools and Offices will be closed Code Red on Monday, January 6, 2025 (exception: Inclement Weather Employees). Weather conditions will be monitored throughout Monday and an update will be provided as needed.”
The closure affects more than 90,000 students enrolled across the division’s 100 schools, including elementary, middle, high schools, and specialty programs. PWCS serves a diverse and growing population, providing a range of academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities for students in Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Under the Code Red designation, only designated inclement weather employees are required to report to work. The school division emphasized that it will continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the day on Monday and provide further updates if necessary.
Manassas Park City Schools (MPCS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2025, citing snowy conditions as the reason for the closure. The announcement on the division’s website stated, “All Manassas Park City Schools will be closed tomorrow, Monday, January 6th, due to snowy conditions. Code RED for employees.”
The closure affected more than 3,000 students enrolled in the city’s four schools, which include Cougar Elementary, Manassas Park Elementary, Manassas Park Middle School, and Manassas Park High School. MPCS serves the small, tight-knit community of Manassas Park and provides a range of academic and extracurricular programs designed to meet the needs of its students.
A Code RED designation means that all school employees, except those specifically designated for inclement weather duties, are not required to report to work.
Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) announced that all schools will be closed on Monday, January 6, 2025, due to forecasted inclement weather. The announcement, shared on the district’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, noted, “Manassas City Public Schools will be closed Jan. 6, 2025, due to forecasted inclement weather. Code BLUE for employees.”
The closure affects approximately 7,000 students across the city’s nine schools, including five elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school. MCPS serves the city of Manassas with a variety of academic programs designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
The Code Blue designation means that employees are not required to report to work unless specifically notified by their supervisors. Further updates regarding school operations will be provided through the district’s official communication channels, including its website and social media accounts.
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), the largest community college in Virginia and one of the largest in the nation, has declared a “Code Purple” for Monday, January 6, 2025. All classes and services will be conducted online, with no in-person operations at any of the college’s six campuses or satellite centers.
The announcement, made on X, formerly known as Twitter, stated, “All #NOVA campuses are operating virtually. Classes and services are online only.” The move impacts more than 70,000 students enrolled across the college’s campuses in Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Springfield, and Woodbridge.
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