“We're basically looking for two representatives from each township,” he said this morning. “It's definitely a volunteer seat.”

The 20 is representative of two people from the county's eight townships and four at-large members, he said.

“Basically, they are representing their community. It's a way for us to get feedback and give them information they can take back to their community and take advice on what we can do to do a better job. It's also an avenue to take constructive criticism.”

Tripp said his goal is to have the first meeting the last week of January and from there to meet quarterly, with the possibility of having special meetings.

In a statement the sheriff said, “This program isn't just creating another avenue for communication between the sheriff’s office and the community. It will connect each area of the county by identifying problems and working together to provide recommendations for solutions.”

Included in these meetings will be discussions on contemporary crime trend information in each area of the county. “Community representatives will be notified of the variety of programs that are in place, with an emphasis on bringing the information back to their communities,” he said in the statement. “The sheriff will ask for input on a variety of subjects to include improvements of service, resource development, and ideas for development of new strategies to address community and agency needs.”

The Citizen Advisory Board will meet quarterly and board member terms will be one- or two-year staggered terms.

If you are interested in being on the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office Advisory Board, please go to www.halifaxsheriff.com

Click on contact and send an email with your full name, address and telephone number.

If you have any questions call the sheriff at 252-578-6761.