Suffolk will soon benefit from 17 new police officers hitting the streets. This couldn’t have come at a better time for Suffolk, which is now considered one of the fastest growing cities in the state.

Suffolk is Virginia’s largest city in landmass at 430 square-miles, and the home construction boom is alive and well here. But with this growth comes the need for heightened public safety.

The addition of the newly sworn officers is obviously a plus for the community, particularly considering the increased visibility of police.

The officers graduated on Monday from the Chesapeake Police Academy after 25 weeks of training. The officers are now assigned to Uniform Patrol for the field portion of their training, and will rotate through a series of training officers before their 12-week training is complete.

Suffolk City Council should maintain funding, and allocate more money to hire more police officers to hit our streets. As the city sets priorities inclusive of economic development, affordable housing, and education, adequate police protection must be a dominant part of the big picture.

In a city survey, 94 of the citizens surveyed ranked police services high. With the growth pressure facing the city, the demand will become even greater to meet and exceed the current level of public safety.