In training sessions offered every 6 months, officers from Chesterfield County's community policing and crime prevention divisions provide valuable safety tips that help realtors thwart possible harmful situations. Police officers instruct realtors in how to take precautions when meeting prospective clients and how to protect themselves if an incident occurs. Among the information provided, officers advise realtors to conduct the first meeting with clients at the realty office. This provides the realtor an opportunity to become somewhat acquainted with clients, rather than merely judging them by their outward appearance. Officers also instruct real estate agents to identify clients before a house showing by acquiring an address and telephone number, if possible, and to leave this information with another individual. Officers advise realtors to show homes in pairs when possible, especially at night, and inform another person of their destination and who will accompany them, all while within earshot of the client. Officers should advise real estate agents to drive customers in their own vehicles when showing property and ensure that their cars remain in good running condition. This gives real estate agents control of the situation and eliminates various safety issues, such as the client pretending to run out of gas in a desolate area. Officers also instruct real estate agents in ways to identify drug users and notice signs of drug abuse. The training program also offers a physical defense training session in which officers prepare realtors for unexpected holds and how to escape from them. The realtor community has been enthusiastic about the program, readily welcomes the police into their world, and continues to support police efforts to help the realtors avoid victimization. 6 notes