Securing the Commonwealth through leadership, collaboration, and community engagement.
The Virginia State Police will be at the forefront of ensuring a safe and secure Commonwealth by developing exceptional relationships. These include:
Our Public — who see legitimacy and credibility in a trusted law enforcement service.
Our Partners — who perceive the Virginia State Police as a collaborative and resourceful organization.
Our People — who feel respected and valued, and that this is their organization.
Competence - We are professional, highly-skilled law enforcement officers, prepared and equipped to succeed in our roles and earn the confidence of the public.
Innovation - We are a progressive, adaptive agency, leveraging technology to our advantage in challenging the status quo to improve any aspect of VSP.
Trust - Our public can have complete confidence in the actions of employees of the VSP and assurance that the VSP is an agency that keeps its commitments.
Commitment - We are bound by our sense of duty and service, and our commitment to our agency, our people, and our public is unwavering.
Wellness - Our physical, mental, and emotional wellness improve our ability to provide exceptional service to our public.
Leadership - We set and exercise high standards that exceed the expectations of the public we serve and the agencies we support.
In 1919, the Virginia State Police was conceived with the passing of The Automobile Acts, which stated that the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and his assistants are vested with the powers of sheriff for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this law. At this time, the burden of enforcement remained with sheriffs and constables in counties and police officers in the cities and towns. The General Assembly acknowledged the need for paid professional personnel to enforce the Automobile Acts in 1922. In 1932, these inspectors became empowered to enforce criminal codes, as well as motor vehicle codes. In doing so, legislators created a state enforcement group with the power of arrest anywhere in Virginia. The Code of Virginia Title 52 and subsections establishes the Department of State Police as a separate department of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Department of State Police is an executive level agency under the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. In 2022, the Department celebrates its ninetieth anniversary.
VSP is organized under three bureaus. The Bureau of Field Operations (BFO) has as its primary responsibility patrolling over 70,000 miles of state roadways and interstate highways throughout Virginia. BFO personnel provide both traffic enforcement and criminal law enforcement. This bureau manages the Virginia Safety Inspection Program.
VSP provides a thorough and comprehensive investigation of all criminal matters mandated by statute and established department policy through the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). This bureau is also responsible for the High Technology Crimes Division and the Virginia Fusion Center, which receives, analyzes, and disseminates intelligence related to all hazards confronting citizens of Virginia, including terrorism.
The Bureau of Administrative and Support Services (BASS) provides the department with essential services through extensive technical and professional expertise. These functions include communications, criminal justice information services, information technology, human resource management, property, finance, and training.
The Department of State Police, or Virginia State Police embraces inclusion and diversity in our workforce and in the protection of all people. VSP is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and has maintained this accreditation since attaining its initial accreditation in 1986. The reaccreditation process takes place every four years, and incorporates annual remote, web-based file reviews of written materials, along with a final site visit by a CALEA assessment team. During this process, Department administration, facilities, equipment, and operations are examined for compliance with CALEA standards.
The Virginia State Police provides high quality, statewide law enforcement services to the residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia and its visitors. Its services range from criminal background checks for employers to vehicle safety inspections, as well as traditional law enforcement roles including executive protection, counter-terrorism, tactical team operations, and the investigation of violent crimes and fire and explosives incidents.
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, as the sole law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction, the Virginia State Police has seen an unprecedented increase in its mission and operational responsibilities. The 9/11 attacks forced the genesis of a far different VSP; an evolution from traditional law enforcement to providing homeland security in a state with many potential terrorism targets. This role includes critical infrastructure and key assets protection (e.g., nuclear facilities, airports, bridges, tunnels, ports, and military installations), government security, participation in federal and local task forces, intelligence gathering and dissemination, CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives) detection, and development and participation in homeland security exercises. Due to operational flexibility and specialized equipment and training, federal, state, and local partners have relied heavily on the Virginia State Police to prevent, mitigate, detect, respond, and recover from critical incidents, such as a terrorist attack, or natural disaster. The result of this evolution is that VSP operates as an "all hazards" first responder organization.
Similarly, beginning in 2017 with the Unite the Right protests in Charlottesville, continuing through Lobby Day 2019, the George Floyd protests in the Summer of 2020, the events of January 6, 2021, and the recent protests outside Supreme Court Justices’ homes, Virginia has experienced both the dangerous and destabilizing potential for mass violence and the power of peaceful free expression. Throughout these high profile and highly volatile gatherings, the Virginia State Police has been responsible for assessing potential threats and deploying hundreds of troopers at a time for the simultaneous protection of free expression, life, and property. Local agencies rely heavily on the state police for intelligence, crowd expertise and specialized personnel (all troopers are trained and equipped for civil disturbance duties) support for large protests, and have extremely limited alternatives to obtain the level of support needed for such events other than VSP. However, these increased demands for specialized services require pulling troopers from their normal assignments and have negatively impacted the traditional highway safety mission of the state police.
The Virginia State Police is unique among law enforcement agencies in Virginia because of the distinctive services we provide. VSP’s responsibilities include legislatively mandated functions such as being the warehouse for all Virginia criminal records, the repository for Uniform Crime Reporting, operation and maintenance of the Sex Offender Registry, and operation of the all hazards Virginia Fusion Center, just to name a few.
In addition to the legislatively mandated services, the Department offers expertise in a wide variety of functional areas, such as ordinance disposal, criminal profiling, polygraph, crash reconstruction, aviation support/Med-Flight, civil disturbance, etc. It is safe to say the general public has very little understanding of our distinctness.
The Information Technology (IT) Division provides the computer infrastructure in support of VSP’s public safety mission and services to the citizens of the Commonwealth. VSP continues to make progress to reduce their dependency on legacy technologies. The department is undertaking a number of information technology projects designed to improve service delivery, increase operational efficiency, and reduce risk. VSP and VITA continue to work together to position VSP into the COV Enterprise services model.
VSP, in partnership with VITA, is currently undergoing transformation of VSP’s technology infrastructure to the Commonwealth of Virginia network. This five-year project, which began in 2021, will not only modernize the VSP technology infrastructure, it will provide uniformity to VSP technology services and security oversight.
VSP continues to modernize and renew internal applications. Several applications are in the process of replacement to include the Virginia Sex Offender Registry, VCHECK (Firearms Background check system), Computerized Criminal History Database, and Case management and Records Systems. These internal and public-facing systems will reduce redundant data entry in multiple systems while allowing better access to data for VSP leadership and the public. Investing in new and evolving technology is part of VSP’s overall strategy to improve data quality and technology, allowing the department the ability to be more innovative. This will provide the department the opportunity to extract data to make better informed decisions regarding resource allocation, crash prevention strategies, crime prevention strategies, etc. This strategy will provide us with technology tools designed to help us work smarter and provide better services to the public, our partners, and our stakeholders.
The Communications Division is responsible for other major components of the Department’s information technology systems, including engineering, installing, and maintaining the Commonwealth’s Statewide Agencies Radio System (STARS). This system includes state of the art land mobile and microwave radio network operations and dispatch centers that supports the twenty-two STARS participating agencies' communications requirements. The Commonwealth’s Link to Interoperable Communication (COMLINC) is maintained by Communications Division personnel and provides interoperability between state and local agencies for planned and unplanned events. The Communications Division also supports mobile data computers, in-vehicle, and body-worn camera systems, speed determining equipment, and a private telephone network. Other functions include providing voice and wireless data equipment and services, installing, repairing, and maintaining radio transmitters, towers, and generators supplying communications support for special events and emergencies. They also provide installation and fleet services at State Police Administrative Headquarters for building and equipping vehicles for STARS agencies. This responsibility includes compliance with the requirements of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Virginia State Police deeply values its employees and the tremendous work they perform for the people of the Commonwealth. The Virginia State Police workforce is immensely talented. The agency carefully selects our employees who must undergo a rigorous background investigation and significant training. We must create opportunities for our employees by investing in their growth as professionals. By enhancing career development opportunities, training, and education, our employees will improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities, which will in turn provide better services to the public, our stakeholders, and our partners. The health of Virginia State Police employees directly affects the services we provide to the public, our stakeholders, and our customers. It is therefore imperative to promote physical, as well as mental, wellness among our employees.
As a result, the VSP Training Division puts great effort into providing “best-in-class” training to our new recruits, where they not only learn the basics of law enforcement, but they also receive advanced training in de-escalation, human trafficking, responding to persons in crisis, and active shooter response. Not only are new recruits taught these skill sets in the classroom, but they also must demonstrate proficiency in these areas during practical training exercises. In addition to classroom instruction and practicals, the Training Division also works to develop trainee’s interpersonal skills, critical thinking, leadership development, teamwork, and ability to manage stress. It is this multifaceted approach that produces new recruits that are highly professional and competent. In addition to basic training, the Training Division also provides specialized training to our civilian workforce, veteran troopers and local agencies. These trainings include Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training, Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC), and various professional development courses for sworn and civilian employees alike.
In support of this mission, VSP has embarked on a four-year project to replace the aging training academy, which dates from the 1960s and suffers from incurable moisture incursion, structural problems, and inadequate facilities. The new training academy, designed by Mosely Architects, is a modern training environment capable of meeting the 21st Century needs of VSP employees and the many local agencies that receive VSP training.
In support of our highly-professional workforce, and with the approval of the Department of Planning and Budget, in 2020, VSP implemented comprehensive salary adjustments for our civilian workforce in order to bring salaries into internal and market alignment in accordance with the findings of a consulting group study commissioned by VSP. In 2022, VSP received an appropriation to increase sworn salaries and eliminate pay compression in the sworn workforce through the adoption of a pay step scale. This step scale has not been funded beyond Fiscal Year 2023.
The basic structure of the Virginia State Police has remained relatively unchanged since our inception. As we have added new initiatives, we have simply added to the organization chart. Populations have changed, demands for our services have increased dramatically, but in general our workforce has remained the same. We have historically managed these increases in mission scope and workload by adapting our existing personnel to new demands. While we continue to adapt to our workforce to meet the needs of the Commonwealth, it is increasingly evident that workforce augmentation must be part of VSP’s strategic solution to these issues.
| Authorized Maximum Employment Level (MEL) | | 3,071 | | Salaried Employees | | 2,650 | | Wage Employees | | 91 | | Contracted Employees | | 44 |
VSP provides superior statewide law enforcement services and other safety-related services to the citizens and visitors of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In fulfilling its duties, VSP represents the Commonwealth and agency facilities should also be representative and reflective of the standards of the Virginia State Police. The Property and Finance Division oversees the property management and maintenance of over one hundred buildings and real estate across the Commonwealth.
Due to the public safety services provided, the type of facilities required, and long-term financial stability for the department, VSP has primarily maintained a policy of owning, as opposed to leasing facilities. The department currently owns approximately 490,000 square feet of space. Lease agreements are completed as it fits the department's needs. Leases space includes office/administrative functions, hangar/aircraft maintenance, storage, and land at several locations for STARS tower facilities.
As the lead law enforcement agency in the Commonwealth, in order to effectively accomplish its mission and ensure officer safety, VSP must be adequately staffed. The Department’s workforce has not increased in conjunction with the increase in demand for its services. In fact, over the past quarter-century, the only increases in the Department’s MEL have been associated with new legislatively-mandated responsibilities. At the same time, Virginia’s population has increased by 30% and the demand for some services has far outstripped that. While this problem exists across our sworn and civilian workforces, the impact of understaffing within our civilian workforce poses unique challenges because of the technical nature of the work that these employees perform.
Emerging issues in public safety have placed unprecedented workload demands on BFO specialty resources and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and necessitate additional manpower resources. These issues include civil disturbances, high risk operations which required tactical team and/or search and recovery team expertise, gang violence, opioid and fentanyl overdoses, methamphetamine distribution, high technology crimes, protests, mass shooting incidents, anti-government activities, and Internet crimes against children.
Likewise, VSP must increase Bureau of Field Operations (BFO) staffing to levels recommended by the approved staffing model. Emerging issues in public safety have also placed unprecedented workload demands on the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and necessitate additional personnel. These issues include gang violence, opioid and fentanyl overdoses, methamphetamine distribution, high technology crimes, protests, mass shooting incidents, anti-government activities, and internet crimes against children. There is also an increased demand for computer forensic services. BCI has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of calls for service for investigations of officer-involved shootings, complex crime scenes, investigations of elected officials, and major cases.
These workforce demands are inextricably intertwined with compensation issues. In 2022, the General Assembly appropriated funds to increase starting trooper salaries and eliminate pay compression in the sworn ranks through the implementation of a pay step scale. This bold action by the General Assembly is already producing dividends: Sworn turnover has decreased substantially and early signs are that applicant interest is increasing. However, these gains will be short-lived if pay compression returns and if recruiters cannot demonstrate to prospective applicants that VSP offers a progressive compensation plan similar to many other large police agencies. Future year funding for the pay step scale is critical to this effort.
Other specialized services like the Aviation Division require updated scheduling and equipment needs because of high demand and increased federal regulation. Aviation provides Med-Flight services and/or law enforcement missions for local, state, and federal agencies from three different bases across the Commonwealth. Three of the seven helicopters in this division are 22 years old and have reached the point in their lifespan where they are very expensive to service and difficult to maintain in an operationally ready status. New aircraft are necessary to replace these. Additionally, binding recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration require the agency to reduce pilot shifts from 24 hours to 16 hours per day. To do so, additional pilot positions are critical.
The Department’s aging technology systems and applications pose significant risks for the Department in terms of resilience, security, and efficiency. The Department is steadily upgrading these systems, but faces many challenges associated with the availability of financial resources and staffing for complex IT procurements, application support, and project management. Similarly, the Department’s many separate systems and paper-based processes limit access to real time information and impede data-driven decisions.
The department is funded with approximately 80 percent general fund and 20 percent non-general funds. The non-general funds are earmarked and/or restricted by either the Code of Virginia, the Appropriation Act, and/or federal/state laws as further detailed below:
- Non-general fund sources cannot be considered as permanent funding sources because of uncontrollable revenue/expenditure fluctuations or prohibitions based on federal or state laws, and there is no guarantee of continued revenue.
- Non-general fund revenue is received sporadically throughout the fiscal year and for specific non-general fund programs.
The chief source of funding for the Department of State Police is the general fund. The agency also collects special fund revenue, Highway Maintenance Funds and federal funds. Funding sources for fiscal year 2023 include:
• General Fund – 81 percent
• Dedicated Special Revenue - 3 percent
• Special Fund – 12 percent
• Highway Maintenance Funds – 2 percent
• Federal Funds – 2 percent
• Trust Funds - Grouped in with Federal Funds
Special Fund Revenue
Revenue received from DMV is calculated at $1.50 per vehicle registered in the Commonwealth per Code of Va. § 46.2-1168. These funds are used to support the Safety Program.
Monies received from the State Corporation Commission is used to support the Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) Program and the Insurance Fraud Program (§ 38.2-414 and § 38.2-415) .
Other special funds include revenue generated from the fee charged to perform sex offender registry searches, revenue received from the sale of surplus properties, indirect costs and court awards from seized assetsc, and funds directed to the Med-Flight program.
| 2023
General Fund | 2023
Nongeneral Fund | 2024
General Fund | 2024
Nongeneral Fund | | Initial Appropriation for the Biennium | 388,394,655 | 93,234,810 | 388,946,847 | 93,234,810 | | Changes to Initial Appropriation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
VSP receives special funds from various sources to support the Safety Inspection/Motor Carrier Program, data line costs, vehicle repairs and med-flight operations. Dedicated special revenue funds are received from various sources to fund the following specific programs:
- Insurance Fraud Investigation and Prevention
- Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT)
- High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Enforcement
- Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Program
VSP also receives federal funds from various federal sources to support a variety of grant programs. These grant programs enhance homeland security and improve the accuracy of computerized criminal histories, and support the department’s efforts to combat Internet crimes against children, methamphetamine production, intellectual property crime, and violent crime.
In Calendar Year 2021, uniformed personnel patrolled over 25 million miles and responded to over 858,000 incidents, including over 246,000 traffic arrests. These enforcement efforts, in conjunction with strong traffic safety education initiatives, are essential for ensuring highway safety for the citizens and visitors of Virginia. Investigative personnel opened over 17,900 new cases. VSP personnel also seized illegal drugs valued at over $300 million.
Over 492,000 applicants and criminals were processed through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and more than 613,000 gun transactions were processed. VSP also maintains the Sex Offender Registry website, which provides information to the public regarding the location of known sex offenders in the community. The accuracy of this registry is supported by physical address verifications conducted by VSP employees assigned to the Firearms and Sex Offender Investigative Unit (FSOIU). This unit conducted over 31,000 address verifications during calendar year 2021.
The department's Property and Finance Division Accounts Receivable section collected $57,942,501 and the Procurement section processed 6,149 purchase orders with a net spend totaling $ $85,760,851 for 2021.
The following statistics provide a snapshot of the magnitude of VSP operations during calendar year 2021.
| Description | Value |
|---|
| BFO Calls for Service | 858,581 |
| BFO Criminal Arrests | 12,493 |
| BFO Disabled Vehicle/Stranded Motorists Assisted | 92,881 |
| BFO Traffic Crash Investigations | 49,726 |
| Aviation Unit Flight Requests | 2,630 |
| BCI General Investigation Cases Opened | 2,376 |
| BCI Drug Investigation Cases Opened | 4,066 |
| BCI Arrests | 2,666 |
| Multi-Jurisdictional Task Forces (state and federal) | 63 |
| Insurance Fraud Cases Investigated | 872 |
| Clandestine Drug Labs Recovered | 4 |
| Tactical Teams Calls for Service | 2,840 |
| Tactical Field Force Calls for Service (2020 Stats) | 155 |
| Canine Teams Calls for Service | 2,168 |
| Search and Recovery Team Calls for Service | 767 |
| Criminal Arrests processed through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System | 205,472 |
| Non-Criminal Justice Fingerprint-based Criminal History Checks Processed | 287,477 |
| Gun Sales Processed | 613,311 |
| Sex Offender Registry Verifications Conducted | 31,685 |
| Gigabytes of Data Analyzed by High Technology Crimes Division | 561,740 |
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Customers and Partners The population in Virginia is growing and changing. From 2000 to 2020, the population in Virginia increased nearly 22 percent from 7,078,515 to 8,631,393. With this growth the number of registered vehicles and licensed drivers also increased by a comparable amount. As the state has grown, so has the demand for law enforcement services.
| Predefined Group | User Defined Group | Number Served Annually | Potential Number of Annual Customers | Projected Customer Trend |
|---|
| Business and Finance | Inspectors (active) | 15,245 | 15,245 | Stable |
| Business and Finance | Property and casualty insurance companies licensed to operate in Virginia | 726 | 726 | Stable |
| Employer/ Business Owner | Businesses | 199,548 | 199,548 | Increase |
| Employer/ Business Owner | Entities Registered for community notification of sex offenders | 14,001 | 14,001 | Increase |
| Employer/ Business Owner | Inspection Stations | 4,399 | 4,399 | Stable |
| Health Professions | Emergency Medical Response Personnel | 35,285 | 35,285 | Stable |
| Local or Regional Government Authorities | Circuit Courts | 120 | 120 | Stable |
| Local or Regional Government Authorities | Commissions/Authorities | 8 | 8 | Stable |
| Local or Regional Government Authorities | Commonwealth's Attorneys and staff | 840 | 840 | Stable |
| Local or Regional Government Authorities | Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration | 524,000 | 524,000 | Stable |
| Local or Regional Government Authorities | STARS Agencies | 22 | 22 | Stable |
| Local or Regional Government Authorities | Virginia Courts | 360 | 360 | Stable |
| Local or Regional Government Authorities | Virginia Law Enforcement Agencies | 387 | 387 | Stable |
| Parolee | Sex Offenders | 3,862 | 3,935 | Increase |
| Resident | Virginia Citizens | 8,470,020 | 8,470,020 | Increase |
| Retirees | Retired Law Enforcement Personnel | 5,655 | 5,655 | Increase |
| State Agency(s), | State Agencies | 46 | 46 | Stable |
| State Government Employee | Department Employees | 3,035 | 3,020 | Stable |
| Tourist | Visitors to Virginia | 6,319,000 | 6,319,000 | Increase |
| Transportation | Motor Carriers | 5,952 | 5,952 | Stable |
| Wholesale/Retail Trade | Gun Dealers | 1,247 | 1,247 | Stable |
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| Name | Description |
|---|
| Varying organizations, groups, public safety entities, etc. | The Virginia State Police has relationships with many organizations, groups, public safety entities, etc. We have learned through our successes in thwarting the opioid epidemic how developing nontraditional relationships introduces unique and previously unimagined perspectives into the power of the collective. Expanding our relationships can offer new hope in so many areas where we have struggled to find the answers. Such partnerships could be leveraged to provide better service to mental health consumers, provide a conduit for more diversity, provide expertise in areas where the Department is lacking, etc. Furthermore, the Virginia State Police recognizes that the public is our partner and the department must be willing to adapt to changing community expectations. |
| Federal, state and local partner agencies | The Virginia State Police have unique expertise, equipment, and tools. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that we share these assets with our partner agencies to ensure all resources are brought to bear on serious crimes, that information is exchanged, knowledge is shared, and communities are safer, etc. Strengthening our relationships will have tremendous, long-term benefits for the Commonwealth as a whole. |
| Virginia General Assembly members and staff | The members of the Virginia General Assembly are often not familiar with the functions, capabilities, legislative mandates, responsibilities, and challenges affecting VSP. Yet they are often charged with making decisions that impact Department operations. VSP strives to build relationships with legislators so they can make better informed legislative and budgetary decisions that affect the Department and the services we provide. |
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Major Products and Services The Virginia State Police primary services include the following in which our troopers and civilians are frequently the Commonwealth’s sole source:
- Information Technology Systems
- Criminal Justice Information Services
- Telecommunications and the Statewide Agencies Radio System
- Firearms Transaction Program
- Sex Offender Registry Program
- Sex Offender Registry Program Monitoring and Enforcement
- Concealed Weapons Program
- Aviation Operations
- Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Program
- Counter-Terrorism
- Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) Program
- Drug Enforcement
- Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Services
- Uniform Patrol Services
- Special Operations
- Insurance Fraud Program
- Vehicle Safety Inspections
- Administrative and Support Services
- Highway Safety Regulations and Education
- Repository of Criminal Record Information
- Arrest Fingerprint Capture, Transmission, and ID
- Employment Criminal History Background Checks
- Crime Statistics
- Missing Persons Alerts
- Statewide Air Search, Rescue, and Medivac
- Statewide Land and Water Search and Rescue
- Independent Investigation of Police Shootings
- Public Corruption Investigations
- Statewide Criminal/Terrorism Intelligence
- Chemical, Biological, & Nuclear Threat Mitigation
- Protection of the Governor
- Mass Deployments for Emergencies
The Department takes a primary role for the delivery of public safety and law enforcement services throughout Virginia. We also provide much of the support and technical expertise that local agencies rely on to carry out their missions:
- Commercial Vehicle HAZMAT Crash Response
- Crime Scene Examinations
- Polygraph Examinations
- Financial Fraud Investigations
- Fire Origin and Cause Determinations
- Post-blast and Explosives Investigations
- Safe Destruction of Explosive Devices
- Coordinate Multi-jurisdictional Task Forces
- Pharmaceutical Drug Diversion Investigations
- Safe Disposal of Clandestine Drug Laboratories
- Threat Assessments for all Public Agencies
- Analytical Support for local PD Investigations
- Forensic Computer Evidence Lab
- Training in Advanced DUI Enforcement
- Training Drug Recognition Experts
- Trained VA National Guard in Crowd Control
- Canine Training
- Motorcycle Patrol Training
- Tactical Team Training
- Leadership & Development Training
- High Tech Investigative Support
- Rapid DNA Analysis
- High Risk Threat Mitigation
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| • | Recruit, prepare, and retain a competent, diverse and resilient workforce | |
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Objectives |
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| » | Promote a healthy workforce The health of Virginia State Police employees directly affects the services we provide to the public, our stakeholders, and our customers. It is therefore imperative to promote physical, as well as mental, wellness among our employees. This strategy’s purpose is to foster a culture that supports health and wellness among our employees. • Hire a Department psychologist to develop a mental wellness program for the Department, conduct education, and reduce the stigma of seeking mental health treatment. This psychologist should be required to occasionally visit Department offices across the state.
• Improve mental health access at the Division level by identifying mental wellness providers across the Commonwealth. Work with the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) to find mental wellness providers that specialize in helping law enforcement employees for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Explore ways to help our sworn employees become more physically fit. For example, health club membership incentives, partner with universities/military bases to use their resources, consider the possibility of allowing 30 minutes of on-duty time 2-3 days a week for workouts. Make fitness more meaningful in the Employee Work Profile/performance evaluation.
• Embrace a culture of telework and alternative work locations.
• Provide education regarding overall healthy lifestyle (i.e cholesterol clinic/BP check/Weight Watchers, etc.).
• Promote a “Culture of Safety” in the organization. Make safety a priority at all times by conspicuously promoting safer practices. Use safety messages to open all meetings, share examples of good decision making in pursuits and search warrant services, not using Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) while driving, wearing ballistic vest, wearing traffic vests, etc. |
| » | Continuously pursue comprehensive, competitive, and transparent compensation The Virginia State Police's current salary structure is inherently unfair to both sworn and civilian employees. Sworn employees experience “compression," a term used to describe a situation where an individual’s salary is less than a counterpart serving in the same capacity with the same number of years of service. Civilian employees experience this same phenomena when new employees are hired at “market rate," while existing employees' salaries remain stagnated. Absent a promotion or an across the board salary increase, VSP employees (both civilian and sworn) may go years without a pay raise, thus further compressing salaries. Employees become frustrated with stagnation and often seek employment elsewhere. When an employee leaves the agency, a valuable asset is lost, as well as the investment the agency made in the employee.
A competitive salary structure is the single most important strategy we can employ to stop this vicious cycle. But its effects will have wide ranging positive impacts. For example, our ability to recruit in general and specifically for diversity will be greatly enhanced as our compensation package will appear more favorable to the small pool of potential candidates interested in a career in law enforcement. We acknowledge the need for sustained funding to achieve this strategy; we further understand that funding is subject to forces beyond our control. This strategy’s purpose is to create a new salary structure that will eliminate compression, provide for more frequent salary adjustments, and simplify the complex salary administration plan so it is transparent and more equitable across the entire agency. • To address compensation/compression for our sworn personnel, we will have our Division and Area Commanders speak with their local legislators regarding the compensation/ compression issues facing the Department. These discussions will be scripted to allow for local impact. We should create a Google Doc log accessible by the Division and Area Commanders to document their visits, provide an assessment of the meetings, and any feedback.
• To address compensation/compression for our civilian personnel, we need to update and subsequently implement the recommendations of the study conducted by FMP Consulting. Once implemented, we need to periodically revisit civilian compensation to ensure equality is maintained and compression does not reoccur.
• Identify funding and/or cost saving opportunities across the agency to partially and incrementally fund compensation.
• Hire a Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion (DOI) Officer to develop, maintain, and help implement strategic, agency diversity and inclusion plans, advise on recruiting and hiring practices and processes, increase diversity hiring, promote advancement of diverse employees, and recommend strategies to increase effective communications between all employees within the agency. |
| » | Develop and implement a comprehensive performance and leadership management system The Virginia State Police deeply values its employees and the tremendous work they perform for the people of the Commonwealth. To show our appreciation and provide feedback, our performance management system must be more robust, define, measure, and reward what is important, evaluate the quality of work performed, provide a path to improvement, and, most importantly, grow our employees' abilities. Leadership evaluations, a product tied to promotions, should accurately assess a candidate’s prior leadership traits as a predictor of future success. This strategy’s purpose is to create a performance evaluation system and leadership management system that are an accurate and fair reflection of the individual’s work performance or leadership potential, and provide our employees with a path to growth. • Reset current performance evaluation process for employees and combine the performance evaluation and leadership evaluation (sworn employees only), which will eliminate the current leadership evaluation. Include a new Employee Work Profile (EWP) core area for “leadership." The core measures will differ by rank, but everyone is expected to be a leader. (Leadership could carry varying degrees of emphasis on the EWP congruous with the employee’s role or job title.) Emphasize community-oriented policing, with the Department’s enforcement ideology focused on professional citizen contact. The performance evaluation rating would be assigned a score and would be calculated into the overall promotional score in place of the leadership evaluation. All performance evaluations should be tied to the strategic plan.
• Educate/retrain our supervisors on how to do performance management. All employees should receive additional training on the agency’s expectations for performance evaluations and how to appropriately document work efforts. Standardized method for employee management (i.e. Using IAPro™, specifically Blue Team and Make Note software. These professional standards tools are designed to accomplish this and in essence could be the evaluation.) |
| » | Foster career development, training, and educational opportunities to promote Inclusion The Virginia State Police workforce is immensely talented. The agency carefully selects our employees who must undergo a rigorous background investigation and significant training. All of this is lost when an employee leaves the agency for better opportunities. We must create opportunities for our employees by investing in their growth as professionals. By enhancing career development opportunities, training, and education, our employees will improve their knowledge, skills, and abilities, which will in turn provide better services to the public, our stakeholders, and our partners. This strategy’s purpose is to invest in our employees to ensure that they will learn and grow across the course of their career. This investment will not only benefit the individual employee, it will also benefit the Department through the quality of service we provide to the public, our stakeholders, and our partners. • Hire contractors to conduct a complete assessment of the Department’s recruitment and retention practices and policies to make recommendations that will help us achieve a more diverse workforce and better serve the whole of our communities.
• Look for ways to incentivize education. Seek scholarships through the Virginia State Police Association (VSPA), grant funding through Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), tuition reimbursement program similar to what the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (DFP) offers.
• Reinstate computer training, but offer it virtually.
• Create a VLC module on how to fill out a Qualification Summary Sheet (SP-88) and how to do an interview.
• Create a more robust internship program for both sworn and civilian positions that could also serve as a recruitment pipeline across the agency.
• Offer training to civilians, such as CPR/First Aid, etc. |
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| • | Engage our communities in our mission and vision | |
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Objectives |
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| » | Commit to promoting the Department's mission and accomplishments The Virginia State Police is unique among law enforcement agencies in Virginia because of the distinctive services we provide. VSP’s responsibilities include legislatively mandated functions such as being the warehouse for all Virginia criminal records, the repository for Uniform Crime Reporting, operation and maintenance of the Sex Offender Registry, and operation of the all hazards Virginia Fusion Center, just to name a few.
In addition to the legislatively mandated services, the Department offers expertise in a wide variety of functional areas, such as ordinance disposal, criminal profiling, polygraph, crash reconstruction, aviation support/Med-Flight, civil disturbance, etc. It is safe to say the general public has very little understanding of our distinctness.
We must first acknowledge that not all people view law enforcement officers in a favorable light. The reasons for this are varied, rooted in history, and often proliferated across media platforms. Despite this, we must strive to make a positive change in the way all people see the Virginia State Police.
The purpose of this strategy is to promote the uniqueness, professionalism, mission, and accomplishments of the Department to ensure we are universally recognized, trusted, and respected by our public, our partners, and our stakeholders for the exceptional and distinct services we provide. • Hire a contractor to provide diversity training to all VSP employees with the goal of helping us become better communicators and capable of being the bridge in the diversity gap in our workplace and across our communities. This process should include an assessment of current training, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) mandated standards and training, and provide the agency with tools to continue the training in the future.
• Create podcast, social media campaigns, create a YouTube channel, produce video vignettes highlighting what we do, about our strategic plan, educational topics, use humor (when appropriate). Some of this can be accomplished at the Division level and/or may require the assistance of a marketing firm.
• Post the strategic plan on the website. Brand our strategic plan, put elements of it on our letterhead, business cards, on the wall in our lobby, on the back of our cars. Post the strategic plan in every office where the employees and the public can see it.
• Tout our CALEA accreditation by producing a short video of the Superintendent explaining what it is and why it is important. Post it on our social media sites and put out a press release (with a link to the video on our social media pages).
• Create a better website that is more informative, user friendly, contains links to reports about our agency and work we do, and is available in a variety of languages, thus more inclusive. |
| » | Embrace a customer service oriented culture The Virginia State Police acknowledge our duties carry tremendous responsibility and authority that must be exercised with the utmost care and respect or we risk losing the support of those who have delegated so much trust and authority in our care. We aim to gain mutual respect by treating our public as a valued customer. Our strategy is to re-invest our efforts into our customers (the public, our partners, and our stakeholders) by providing them with the best services we are capable of providing. • Customer service has to be a part of our daily operation. The public should be viewed as customers. The customer service culture shift must start at the top and be reinforced at every level, through the Employee Work Profile (EWP) and performance evaluations. Emphasize the three C's: Courtesy, Competence, and Commitment. Courtesy is staying professional and polite. Competence is having the knowledge, skill and ability to do your job well. Commitment is having the fortitude to do things right (reports, returning phone calls, following up on leads, etc.) in a timely manner, as if it was for your own family member. This needs to be part of training and rewarded by supervision. Adopt a non-adversarial “servant” mindset. Implement a formal written warning process as an alternative to the issuance of a summons. Embrace a customer service culture where performance metrics measure positive and effective public contacts. A customer service culture can be measured in the survey tool (formerly the citizen survey).
• Reinstate some voicemail for business needs. The website (business functions) should only publish phone numbers for business purposes when there is someone there to answer the phone or a voicemail box is setup and monitored during business hours. (Do not publish a phone number that no one ever answers). Voicemail messages should be pleasant, sound helpful, perhaps scripted.
• Design a better public survey that is more inclusive of the whole Department’s performance and captures better metrics for assessing the public’s satisfaction with the Department’s performance.
• Provide more information to the public – Much of the work of the Virginia State Police is legislatively exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. These protections ensure the integrity of criminal investigations, personnel matters, protect identities of crime victims, ensure the safety of critical infrastructure, etc. Despite these protections, there are opportunities to provide the public with more information, so they can be better informed about the agency and the excellent work we do. |
| » | Increase community outreach The employees of the Virginia State Police live in the Commonwealth’s communities. They have a vested interest in the success of their neighborhoods. VSP employees have expertise that can help our communities become stronger and safer places in which to live, work, and go to school. Our strategy is to be even more engaged in our communities. • Incentivize community outreach by defining it, measuring it quantitatively through the Weekly Activity Report (SP-127) and qualitatively through public survey mechanism (former citizen’s survey), integrate into Employee Work Profile/performance evaluation.
• Establish a community outreach unit (crime prevention, community service, good will). Host open houses at each Division with educational components, to include public participation in crisis intervention scenarios (MILO).
• Repurpose the Recruitment Unit to act as community engagement facilitators instead of recruiters (be guided by Division Commanders).
• K-12 – partner with the Virginia Department of Education to participate in driver’s education and U.S. government classes.
• Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) outreach – Partner with DOC and their programs that help inmates transition to release. |
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| • | Improve business processes for quality, service, and efficiency | |
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Objectives |
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| » | Identify and eliminate redundancy and inefficiencies The Virginia State Police business functions are process driven. Through the years, these processes have been modified with unintentional consequences, such as unnecessary redundancy. Business practices can be modernized while simultaneously improving the quality of our services. Our strategy is to conduct an entire organizational assessment to determine where unnecessary redundancies exist, and to further determine what processes can be streamlined to eliminate redundancy altogether. • Decentralize and outsource – VSP has traditionally operated its business functions in a centralized manner, with a limited number of tasks being outsourced. Analyze our business model needs to determine if the agency can realize efficiencies or cost savings by decentralizing and/or outsourcing.
• Document business processes and desk procedures - VSP functions like a business. However, business processes and desk procedures have not traditionally been uniformly documented and incorporated across the agency. Well documented business processes and desk procedures ensure continuity of operations. Document business processes and desk procedures in a concerted, unified, and uniform manner.
• Implement voicemail for certain phones and certain positions, and eliminate landline phones for others that do not need them since they have cell phones.
• Transition to direct ship and maintenance contracts.
• Budgeting ownership can be pushed to the Division level. This would empower the Division while also holding them accountable for balance/responsible spending.
• Develop a review process to review and refine business practices to be performed during staff inspection. |
| » | Continuously evaluate workforce allocation and organizational structure The basic structure of the Virginia State Police has remained relatively unchanged since our inception. As we have added new initiatives, we have simply added to the organization chart. Populations have changed, demands have changed, but in general our workforce has remained the same. Our strategy is to reevaluate the current organizational chart to determine if there is a structure that fits the agency’s evolution while simultaneously evaluating the distribution of the workforce to ensure resources are assigned in accordance with work demand. • Conduct a review every other year of division/area boundaries, shift resources, and reassign workloads and duties and positions where and when needed.
• Review the Department’s residency policy.
• Conduct a biennial assessment of vacant positions and how they align with strategic priorities across the agency.
• Identify specialized training/skills that can transfer across Bureaus.
• Revamp and produce a realistic Workforce Allocation Plan. |
| » | Evaluate new initiatives It is important for the Virginia State Police to continue to be innovative in every aspect of our agency and the services we provide. This includes technological innovations, implementing new services or programs, and purchasing new equipment/tools. It is equally important to conduct a thorough analysis of any new initiative to determine the cost benefit, the risk, and the operational impact the new initiative may have. For example, new programs need to be managed and staffed. This can mean moving staff from one project or assignment to another. We need to ask, "How will this new project negatively impact the former and does the benefit outweigh the operational impact?" These questions are imperative to the innovation process. Our strategy is to conduct a thorough cost benefit, risk assessment, and operational impact analysis of all new initiatives. • Ensure end users are part of all new initiatives for, “end user impact analysis.”
• Revise and institute the Information Technology Institutional Board (ITIB).
• Encourage innovation, be willing to try something that may fail, reward innovation. Reward innovation/process improvement can be achieved using the EWP performance evaluation.
• Actively promote the Commonwealth’s innovation award to inspire creativity, bring attention to the award process, and encourage Division Commanders to support and recognize innovation in the workplace. |
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| • | Implement innovative policing practices | |
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Objectives |
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| » | Leverage Technology The Virginia State Police is currently plagued with aging technology that is obsolete and ineffective. Data systems are siloed causing data entry in multiple systems and preventing data analysis. Investing in new and evolving technology will stimulate our ability to be more innovative, providing us the opportunity to extract data to make better informed decisions regarding resource allocation, crash prevention strategies, crime prevention strategies, etc. This strategy will provide us with technology tools designed to help us work smarter and provide better services to the public, our partners, and our stakeholders.
In March 2021, the Department designated an Unmanned Aerial Systems Program Coordinator (UASPC) with the purpose of officially standing up the departments drone program. Currently, the Department has 14 certified pilots in the Bureau of Field Operations and four (4) in the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, which includes the Program Coordinator. Moving forward, the goal for the Drone Program is to increase the drone fleet for 3D mapping for forensic crime scene and traffic crash investigations, communications tower inspection and mapping, tactical and interior confined space operations, and the procurement of additional drones that will allow longer flight times. In addition, to build a larger advanced flight training lanes at Fort Pickett to improve the pilot’s ability to fly in challenging conditions for both exterior and interior environments. Lastly, as threats from drones increase and when additional funding is available, to acquire drone detection technology to better aid the department’s airspace awareness at large events in an effort to mitigate drone flight incursions. • Implement E-Summons across the entire Department.
• Implement the IAPro™ software suite, specifically Blue Team/Make Note and E/I Pro.
• Expand the use of Advanced License Plate Readers (ALPR) across the Commonwealth.
• Establish a photo speed enforcement program for work zones.
• Train all accident reconstruction members across the state on the use of high definition laser scanning technology. Adopt a practice where the Bureau of Field Operations conducts high definition scene scanning for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and vice versa.
• Implement, educate, and expand the use of Rapid DNA technology.
• Develop ArcGIS™ subject matter experts to leverage utility across all Bureaus.
• Purchase and develop Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for use at crash scene, crime scenes, and searches.
• Develop more reliable video-teleconferencing system.
• Form a technology working group to explore new technology for law enforcement use. As technology often exceeds legal guidelines, the committee should also focus on legal applications of technology and help with careful implementation of new technology to ensure it is used in both a legal and ethical manner. |
| » | Be a leader in improving the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system The Virginia State Police is fortunate to have employees with decades of experience in the criminal justice system. In our many years of service, we have witnessed the challenges of such a complex system and share in the frustration of navigating the criminal justice labyrinth. Reformation is formidable, and it must be appropriately balanced with people experienced in all aspects of the criminal justice system. Our strategy is to lend our expertise and experience as law enforcement professionals to improving the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system. • Be proactive in recommending change through policy/practice and legislation. (i.e. set the example for other agencies to follow with regards to high training standards, investigating use of force, administrative investigations, etc.)
• Be a part of criminal justice reform discussion, with emphasis on police reform, participate in committees, task forces, etc.
• Manage public expectations about enforcement with public service messaging (like the recent DMV seatbelt ads filmed for multiple local jurisdictions) and structure training to reinforce professionalism by all sworn employees in law enforcement related contacts with the public.
• Through memberships and associations with the Criminal Justice Services Board (to include the Committee on Training), Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP), Virginia Sheriff’s Association (VSA), Virginia State Police Association (VSPA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NOBLE), National Latino Law Enforcement Organization (NLLE), Mid-Atlantic Association of Women in Law Enforcement (MAAWLE), local/regional academy boards, etc. work collectively to effect positive change (i.e. make changes to police ourselves in lieu of legislative changes). |
| » | Collaborate with institutions of higher education Virginia hosts some of the finest institutions of higher education in the nation. Although the Virginia State Police has existing relationships with these institutions, our partnerships have been narrowly focused, service oriented, and with little long-term benefit to either organization. VSP recognizes that we need to grow this relationship, so it is more meaningful and symbiotic. Opportunities may include education for our employees, VSP internships for university/college students, research assistance, data analytics etc. • Create partnerships with community colleges for internships, recruitment, and educational opportunities (for both entities).
• Participate in college/university studies (Virginia Tech Lighting study). Partner with colleges and universities to conduct studies for VSP or complete a specific project.
• Partner with community colleges to offer college credit for as much of our training as possible to include specialty classes and expand those opportunities toward an associate degree.
• Develop a better internship program for college students that includes the diverse areas of the agency (Virginia Fusion Center, Information Technology Division, Property and Finance Division, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, etc.). This will help create a recruitment pipeline for both sworn and civilian positions. |
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| • | Develop exceptional relationships with our partners | |
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Objectives |
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| » | Recognize the public is our partner and be willing to adapt to changing community expectations
Virginia State Police relationships with the public are constantly evolving as the expectations of the communities we serve are changing. VSP recognizes that to properly serve the public we must adapt to meet the public’s changing expectations of us. It is important to ask the public about their expectations of the police as well as the police providing information about their capabilities. Our strategy is to recognize these evolving expectations and adapt to them in a more expeditious manner to ensure the services we provide align with the expectations of the public we serve. • Hire a contractor to provide diversity training to all VSP employees with the goal of helping us become better communicators and capable of being the bridge in the diversity gap in our workplace and across our communities. This process should include an assessment of current training, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) mandated standards and training, and provide the agency with tools to continue the training in the future.
• Engage community groups, with emphasis in underserved communities. Have open dialogue, listen to their concerns, establish relationships, and provide information about the agency, our processes, procedures, etc. (officer-involved shootings, training, Internal Affairs processes, etc.).
• Create off-season regional legislative workgroups to meet with our legislators outside the General Assembly session.
• Measure public expectations using a survey instrument. Hire a marketing firm to help advertise the survey.
• Redefine our enforcement and mission to align with public expectations and criminal justice reform measures. Train and reinforce professionalism by all sworn employees in law enforcement related to contacts with the public—take primary emphasis off of summonses and focus on productivity and well-roundedness of employees. |
| » | Continue to advance our relationships with non-traditional stakeholders and partners The Virginia State Police have relationships with many organizations, groups, public safety entities, etc. We have learned through our successes in thwarting the opioid epidemic how developing nontraditional relationships introduces unique and previously unimagined perspectives into the power of the collective. Expanding our relationships can offer new hope in so many areas where we have struggled to find the answers. Such partnerships could be leveraged to provide better service to mental health consumers, provide a conduit for more diversity, provide expertise in areas where the Department is lacking, etc. Our strategy is to look for non-traditional stakeholders and partners to work with collectively to solve problems that are too big for any single group to conquer. • Engage our underserved communities and begin building relations. It starts with dialogue, but can evolve into education opportunities for our personnel, as well as the community. “Meet people where they are."
• The Insurance Fraud Unit should establish public/private partnership working groups with banking/loss prevention/commercial industries and businesses.
• Host a media event, by invitation, at the Academy to help establish better relationships with traditional media, private organizations, and especially groups that do not understand or often do not agree with what we do, such as the ACLU. Demonstrate the immediate decisions that have to be made in shooting situation (MILO), discuss considerations for search warrant service, explain how automated license plate readers (ALPR) work, why we have Armored Personnel Carriers and tactical teams and what they are (and are not) used for. We need to take the mystery and aura out of the law and the Department.
• Establish relationships with community mental health providers/Virginia Department of Health (VDH)/Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs, and identify ways to use them as a resource when we need assistance with people experiencing mental health crises.
• Establish relationships with private organizations (NAACP, ADL, etc.) by having interested members join them at the Area and Division levels. The agency may elect to pay for all or part of the participant’s dues when selected to be the local representative for a particular organization as part of this tactic. |
| » | Strengthen working relationships with other public safety agencies through leadership, training, information sharing, and enhanced services
The Virginia State Police have unique expertise, equipment, and tools. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that we share these assets with our partner agencies to ensure all resources are brought to bear on serious crimes, information is exchanged, knowledge is shared, and communities are safer, etc. Strengthening our relationships will have tremendous, long-term benefits for the Commonwealth as a whole. Our strategy is to demonstrate our leadership in the public safety arena by providing training, technical assistance, additional resources, information sharing, and collaboration tools, technology, equipment, etc. to other public safety agencies in the spirit of cooperation, enhancing the safety of the public, and in pursuit of justice. • Conduct police shooting training for Commonwealth Attorneys.
• Establish regional leadership meetings/chiefs meeting/professional counterpart meetings.
• Open some training courses to local agencies.
• Expand approved professional organization/association memberships to levels below Division Commander. |
| » | Build relationships with legislative partners Members of the Virginia General Assembly are often not familiar with the functions, capabilities, legislative mandates, responsibilities, and challenges affecting VSP. Yet they are often charged with making decision that impact Department operations. Our strategy is to build relationships with our legislators so they can make better informed legislative and budgetary decisions that affect the Department and the services we provide. • Create off-season legislative workgroups and full-time legislative liaison staff. This needs to happen at the local level – all politics are local. Legislators need to understand how VSP is impacted at the local level.
• Host legislative days at SPHQ.
• Involve legislators in activities when we are not asking them for anything to allow them the opportunity to get to know the agency and our members, and to see for themselves how we operate. (Family Day, Superintendent’s Award Ceremony, etc.) |
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