The Department of Forestry offers additional fire safety tips including:
 
· Even if it’s after 4 p.m., don’t burn if the wind speed is in excess of 20 miles

    per hour and humidity levels are below 30 percent.

· Burn in small piles rather than one big pile.

· Before igniting your fire, clear the area around the pile down to bare dirt.

· Don’t add to the fire after midnight.

· Keep a fully charged hose and a shovel on hand to extinguish any spot fires

   that ignite away from the burn pile.

· Dial 9-1-1 as soon as a fire escapes your control.
 
Starting a fire before 4 p.m. during spring fire season is a Class 3 misdemeanor crime.  In addition to a fine of not more than $500, the person responsible for an escaping fire is financially liable for the cost of suppressing the fire and for damage caused to another’s property.

On behalf of all the employees, we’d like to welcome

Sheriff R. W. “Bobby” Hawkins, Jr. and his family to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. Each of us will play a role to ensure a successful integration into the Sheriff’s Office.

Our Sheriff’s Office will remain absolutely committed to making Mecklenburg County a safer place, preventing and detecting crime and continuing to listen and respond to all of our communities.

We look forward to your support and cooperation to Sheriff Hawkins in his current assignment and wish him a happy association with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.

Once again, welcome Sheriff Hawkins.

With Best Wishes,

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office Employees

Press Release

November 4, 2011

Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office Jail is 100% compliant

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office Jail has successfully completed a 3-day audit governed under the authority of the Virginia Department of Corrections for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. A 100% score was received by the jail which consisted of 118 Standards of Compliance. Audits are performed on a three-year cycle. Inspections which are unannounced are performed on an annual basis.

The audit serves as a necessary enforcement mechanism in monitoring the standards so that local jails and state correctional facilities may be evaluated through a uniform process and be certified as efficient and safe.

All correctional programs and facilities operate under standards that are designed to ensure health, safety and welfare of staff and offenders within a correctional setting.

Chief Correctional Officer

Roosevelt Terry