Virginia State Police
| Virginia Department of State Police | |
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| Common name | Virginia State Police |
| Abbreviation | VSP |
Patch of the Virginia Department of State Police
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Badge of a Virginia State Trooper
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Flag of the Commonwealth of Virginia
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| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1932 |
| Preceding agency | Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles |
| Employees | 1,600 (as of 2017) |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | Commonwealth of Virginia, U.S. |
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| Virginia State Police Divisions Map | |
| Size | 42,774 square miles (110,780 km2) |
| Population | 8,001,024 (2010 census) |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Chesterfield, Virginia |
| Troopers & Special Agents | 1,200 (as of 2017) |
| Civilians | 723 (as of 2014) |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent agency | Virginia Secretary of Public Safety |
| Divisions | 7 |
| Facilities | |
| Airplanes | 4 |
| Helicopters | 7 |
| Website | |
| http://www.vsp.state.va.us/ | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
The Virginia State Police, officially the Virginia Department of State Police, is a U.S. state law enforcement agency, conceived in 1919 and established in 1932, that acts as the state police force for the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The agency originated out of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles as an inspector and enforcer of highway laws. It is currently one of fourteen agencies within the Cabinet Secretariat of Public Safety, under the leadership of Secretary Brian Moran.
In 1919 the Virginia State Police was conceived with the passing of the Automobile acts which state that the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and his assistants were vested with the powers of a Sheriff for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of the law. The Secretary of the Commonwealth continued to be responsible for this regulation. The burden of enforcement remained with Sheriffs and Constables in counties and police officers in the cities and towns.
In 1919 the Motor Vehicle Act was passed, creating the first title laws for Virginia motor vehicle owners.
In 1932 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 to arrest anywhere in Virginia. A mobile enforcement agency was now ready for duty wherever civil strife or emergency conditions might exist that would warrant police personnel to ensure peace and security. It was at this time that inspectors began to be known as "Troopers."
On November 3, 1938, an executive order from Majors Bishop and Nicholas officially adopted the title of "State Trooper." The purpose of this was to identify specific members of the Division of Motor Vehicles performing the role of inspector and motorcycle deputy.
On March 14, 1942, the General Assembly abolished the existing Division of Motor Vehicles and created two separate agencies: The Division of Motor Vehicles and the Department of State Police. The act called for a position of superintendent for the State Police and a commissioner for the Division of Motor Vehicles. Major C. W. Woodson Jr. was officially appointed as superintendent for the State Police.
Training is divided into 4 phases; Phase 1: 2 1/2 weeks of training mainly focusing on firearms, defensive tactics and basic law. Phase 2: Probate phase, probates are assigned to an FTO (Field Training Officer) for a minimum of 4 weeks. During this phase probates are exposed to the daily activities and duties of a Virginia State Trooper. Phase 3: This training phase consists of 26 weeks. Phase 4: During this phase new troopers are assigned to an FTO for 6 to 8 weeks.
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