LANGLEY AFB, VA. –
A town hall focusing on crime within Bethel Manor will be 6-8 p.m. June 28 at the Bethel Manor Youth Center gym for residents on Langley and Bethel Manor, Department of Defense personnel, supervisors of housing residents and base agencies with housing and community service-related issues to discuss.
Brig. Gen. Burton Field, 1st Fighter Wing commander, will host the town hall to discuss how base residents can combat crime, gang activity, how residents can get involved, speeding through housing areas, gate issues, housing privatization, housing projects and open discussion.
The town hall organizers hope to educate residents on how to identify gang-related behavior and the proper way to report it.
Also in attendance will be the 1st Mission Support Group and 1st Security Forces Squadron commanders, York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Department, and Hampton Police Department gang unit representatives and housing representatives, William Johnson and Richard Moynihan.
With them, residents will have a forum to address issues directly with local law enforcement and 1st Fighter Wing leadership.
“We hope to open residents’ eyes to a growing problem not only in our community but in the area as a whole,” said 1st Lt. Anthony Austin, 1st SFS operations officer. “It is a great opportunity to foster positive relations between residents and local law enforcement and give them an outlet to discuss their concerns.”
Town hall meetings have been traditionally held on a situational basis at the discretion of the wing commander. Future plans, however, might call for town hall meetings to be conducted quarterly.