Board of County Supervisors Continues Resident Police Officer Program at Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park

The Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, or DPRT, is responsible for taking care of county-owned historic sites. Police officers help with some of the upkeep at the Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park.

The Bristoe Station Battlefield Resident Police Officer Program, established by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in 2011, allows selected sworn police officers to live in two houses at the park for $1,200 a month each for up to five years, with $500 of the rental fee going toward DPRT building maintenance and utilities.

The remaining $700 is held by the county finance office in an interest-bearing account. The officers can use these funds to buy a house in Prince William County at the end of their lease terms.

The tradeoff is that the officers provide in-kind services including security checks at the battlefield, visibility, enforcement action when necessary, and routine home maintenance which helps keep the houses in good shape “They would deteriorate quickly,” Brendon Hanafin, DPRT assistant director for planning and capital projects, said of the two houses at the battlefield. “Houses do better when someone is taking care of them.”

DPRT carpenters helped with the initial renovations at the battlefield houses at 10710 Bristow Road. “The county utilized housing proffer funds and county carpenters to complete the work,” Hanafin said. “The costs savings associated with our labor allowed us to renovate two houses instead of one. Both houses were rehabbed for less than $100,000.”

The program has been effective. “This project was conceived as a workforce initiative to make affordable housing available to county employees,” Hanafin said. “We are maintaining two historic houses with funds from the rental while holding a portion of the monthly rent for the officers to buy houses within the county at the end of their lease terms. We’ve had four officers buy houses in the county that they work in, a very successful investment with officers five and six moving in March.”

Officers are chosen for the program through a selection process that considers tenure, salary, and interviews. Officers must show a strong work ethic, cannot be a current homeowner, and be in a sworn uniformed position.

“Being a part of this program means a tremendous amount to me. It truly shows that the department cares about setting up their officers for success in the future while also showing their faith in me,” said Prince William Police Officer Brett Hutchison, one of the officers set to move into one of the houses at the battlefield.

The program will help Hutchison build a better future. “This is something that truly does take a large amount of weight off of my shoulders,” Hutchison said. “Not only is it affordable and sets me up for success financially, but it also allows me to have a bright future for my future family. It's an opportunity that I am truly blessed to have.”