CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors had a busy evening Wednesday, discussing topics ranging from school safety to the state of Southside Speedway during its meeting.
Officials from the Chesterfield County Police Department were present to the meeting to provide an update on some of its activity in 2023, as well as discuss school safety.
Chesterfield Police officers were involved in 126 threat assessments in schools and 18 emergency custody and temporary detention orders in 2023. The department also made 500 arrests for misdemeanors and 50 arrests for felonies on school campuses this year.
In addition to its activity in schools, the officials also said that the department has arrested more than 30 people in connection to 16 online child predator operations done over the course of the year.
Chesterfield County Public Schools officials were also at the meeting, telling board members the school district is continuing its efforts to keep kids safe in class.
With new cameras that display more megapixels than older ones, the school district now has at least one camera in each of its 67 schools and is working to upgrade entrances. The school district is also considering a pilot program for a fleet of solar-powered mobile systems to help them surveil parking lots and athletic events.
In addition to school safety and police activity, the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors also discussed the state of the dilapidated Southside Speedway.
The racetrack, which operated for more than six decades before shutting down, is now owned by the county’s Economic Development Authority.
The board of supervisors discussed the property in closed session on Wednesday.
During the meeting, supervisor Chris Winslow, who represents the Clover Hill district, said, “The board unanimously directs Chesterfield County Economic Development Authority to enter into negotiations for a 10-year ground lease purchase and masterplan with Competitive Racing Investments LLC to renew racing in Southside Speedway and as part of that masterplan, but separate and apart from the racetrack, to cite an indoor soccer facility containing eight to ten multi-use fields in response to the county’s recently procured third-party athletic facility gap analysis and the 288 Genito special focus area plan.”
In response to the update, Supervisor Kevin Carroll, who represents the Matoaca district, said, “This has been something that the community has anticipated for a long time. It’s a long time coming. We absolutely look forward to a time where the racetrack is back open. We have racing again in Chesterfield County.”
