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News | Dec. 21, 2017

Police Department takes top award for excellence

By Leon Moore DLA Aviation Public Affairs

If you work on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, there’s a 100 percent chance, not a work day goes by where you don’t have some sort of interaction with a Defense Logistics Agency police officer, from being greeted in the morning as you come through the gates, to a friendly wave from an officer as they patrol the grounds.

Chad Tearne, chief of police, Defense Logistics Agency Installation Operations at Richmond, Virginia, said this daily interaction is vital. 

“Having a good relationship with the men and women of DSCR definitely helps.  We have people here who feel comfortable enough to approach us,” he said.

In Richmond, DLA employs dozens of officers who provide for the safety and security of the more than 3,000 civilian, military and contractors who work on DSCR.

The force was recently named the 2017 Defense Logistics Agency Police Department of the Year. They received the award during a ceremony Dec. 12 at DLA Headquarters, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Tearne said while he’s humbled by the award, it’s his officers and support staff who deserve all the credit.

“Without each person, the ship would not sail straight,” he said.

Richard Milligan, chief, Security and Emergency Services, DLA Installation Operations at Richmond nominated the department. In his write up for the award, Milligan stated, “I have had the distinct honor and pleasure of witnessing the excellent teamwork, commitment to mission accomplishment and unsurpassed pride the men and women of our force display every day in their relentless pursuit of excellence in their service to the DLA community.”

Here are a few highlights of the department’s accomplishments:

  • During the 2017 Agency Management Review, the department received zero critical and significant discrepancies and zero observations out of 106 benchmark items, becoming the first DLA Police Department to achieve this tremendous feat

  • Conducted 1,478 responses, compared to 1,398 in 2016

  • Maintained an average emergency response time of 100-percent in less than four minutes.

“These folks have enabled me and the deputy chief to concentrate on taskers such as inspection preparation, modernizing the force, researching and funding the most advanced and up-to-date police equipment,” said Tearne.