I received an e-mail late Tuesday morning inviting me and others to attend a press conference to be jointly held by the NAACP and the Huntington Black Pastors' Ministerial Association. It was to take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday on the steps of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church for the purpose of discussing the need for "easing tension within the Fairfield community."

On Wednesday, after meeting with members of the Huntington Police Department command staff, I assembled in the church's fellowship hall to participate in a pre-press conference dialogue about the perceived tension.

After several minutes of waiting to begin discussion, I was pulled aside and told to leave because it was a "private press conference."

Since being sworn as chief in June 2007, I have prided myself on possessing the following attributes as I have interacted with residents of all segments within the city: openness, accessibility, the ability to reconnect the police department with people who have frequently felt disenfranchised and, most importantly, operational transparency.

My developmental years as a law enforcement officer were largely spent working in urban Southern communities. As a result of this development, I am familiar with the complexities and best professional practices for policing in a community that is facing many of the challenges that we are experiencing.

In 2008, the city of Huntington was awarded a Weed and Seed grant by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The designated area included both Fairfield West and East and surrounding areas. This designated area had experience increasingly blighted conditions, high poverty levels and high crime rates over a number of years. This same area is 7 percent of the size of the city, comprised of 20 percent of the city's population. Prior to the Weed and Seed designation the area experienced the following:

60 percent of the murders.

77 percent of the prostitution arrests.

44 percent of adult drug crime.

38 percent of the juvenile drug crimes.

This concentration of crime is what prompted the city of Huntington to pursue the funding available with the Weed and Seed grant.

The city was awarded this grant in response to such statistics with the community's desire to see change. As a component of the Weed and Seed grant, there is a concerted law enforcement presence within the designated area.

As a component of the first year of the grant, the city is charged with reducing violent crime and drug sales by increasing police presence with additional overtime hours and participation in undercover/interdepartmental arrests for violent crime.

During the first year of the grant, there were 93 arrests for violent crimes within the Weed and Seed area. That is a 244 percent increase in arrests of violent offenders, compared with the year prior with only 27 arrests.

This remarkable statistic will have a far-reaching impact to aid in the livability of the community, by addressing such violent offenses, and is an example of the successes that our strategies are yielding.

Earlier this year, the city of Huntington and Create Huntington brought to town individuals responsible for the successful community policing initiative in the Haven Acres community of Tupelo, Miss.

The individuals represented segments of the Tupelo Police Department, city administration and the all African-American community of Haven Acres. The men and women shared the story of how a partnership between law enforcement and the community is built upon effective and consistent communication.

Additionally, the Haven Acres presenters spoke with community and civic leaders about the importance of adopting a zero tolerance of crime within the community and supporting the efforts of the police department.

One presenter spoke of her grandson being arrested for a drug crime and her understanding and agreement with such action. More than 40 Fairfield community members attended the presentations and break-out sessions and felt such a zero tolerance policy would be critical to the success of efforts in Huntington.

Law enforcement and community members meet monthly at the Fairfield West Improvement Council and the Public Safety Committee of the Improvement Council to discuss and identify problems and strategize about practical solutions. I am so pleased with the relationships that have been established and the problem solving that has occurred as a result.

A criticism that I often hear about is the delay of information presented by the department in relation to major case investigations. The Huntington Police Department provides information at the appropriate time when we have accurate information to provide that is supported by suspect and witness interviews and the results of collection and examination of forensic evidence.

I have not deviated from this philosophy since the beginning of my tenure with the HPD. We will not participate in a journalistic race to report information. Our ability to maintain investigative integrity is paramount to our mission and service to this city.

Over the past two years, I have continually been impressed by the professionalism and competence of the officers within the ranks of the Huntington Police Department. Together, we have developed many values that guide us daily. These are some of the values that have been embraced:

Respect for Human Life: We value human life and dignity above all else, so we treat all people with value and decency.

Citizens and Partnerships: We believe that cooperation and teamwork will enable us to combine our diverse backgrounds, skills and style with the capacities of others to achieve common goals.

Integrity: We are committed to the highest standards of honesty and ethical conduct. Furthermore, we are accountable to each other and to the citizens we serve. We believe integrity is the basis of trust between supervisors and staff and between the department and citizens.

Duty: We provide high quality service with positive results for our community while maintaining the highest standard of public service and satisfaction.

Because of the aforementioned values, I continue to be confident in the performance and abilities of the officers of our department.

In response to the difficult weeks that we have experienced, HPD will not step away from the mission and values of our department. I can assure everyone we are making our communities safer and we will continue to do so. Preventing crime is everyone's responsibility.

Skip Holbrook is chief of the Huntington Police Department.

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