Following a decision on Monday by the Chesapeake village council to give raises to its police force, South Point made moves on Tuesday to give a boost to their police department as well.

Chief Chris Mahjer approached the council with a request of funding for four new cruisers and to give raises to part time employees.

After discussing the matter, the mayor and council decided to allocate $52,000 from the general fund to the police department, a matter which will be voted on at next month’s meeting of council.

As many of the members of council had run on a pledge to focus on safety and security in the village, this decision, for which Mayor Jeff Gaskin said is covered by a strong financial situation in the village, is a follow through on that promise.

As we said of the  situation in Chesapeake, a well-funded and equipped police department is key to officer retention and affects not just the village, but the surrounding areas as well.

We commend both Chesapeake and South Point for these moves this week and are glad to know that they make it a priority to help those who put their lives on the line for their villages.