Police
About the Police Department
The Colonial Heights Police Department strives to provide a safe environment for all citizens by enforcing all laws fairly and impartially, maintaining a highly visible police presence throughout the community, and deterring criminal activity. Our agency was initially accredited through the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission, or VALEPSC in 2013. Since that time, we have successfully completed assessments by the Commission in 2017, 2021 and are scheduled to be assessed again in February of 2025.
The Police Department is comprised of two main divisions and has an authorized strength of 52 sworn police officers, four professional support staff and one crime analyst, the current organizational chart can be viewed here..
The Operations Division is overseen by a Captain and is the most recognizable and largest division in the agency. This division is comprised of 32 sworn men and women who are divided among four squads. Each squad consists of a lieutenant, sergeant, and patrol officers. Squad personnel provide police protection 24/7, working 12-hour shifts. Additionally, the division is responsible for Animal Control Officers and the Animal Shelter.
Uniform Patrol officers provide a multitude of services to our community. In addition to responding to calls for service, they regularly enforce state and local criminal and traffic laws, conduct in-depth investigations, process evidence, testify in court, proactively identify, and address quality-of-life issues, and provide general guidance for citizen inquiries.
The Support Services Division is overseen by a Captain and a Lieutenant and encompasses both the Criminal Investigations the Support Services Unit and the Auxiliary Police volunteer unit.
The Support Services Unit is responsible for training, maintenance and purchasing of equipment; management of the Property and Evidence Rooms; handling of social media and media relations; and overseeing accreditation and crime prevention. Additionally, the division conducts inspections, manages grants, and maintains and controls all departmental records and special projects, to include the body-worn camera and drone programs. The Support Unit encompasses a Sergeant, an Accreditation and Crime Prevention Officer, Records personnel, a FOIA specialist and six School Resource Officers. Throughout the year, the unit conducts numerous community events such as National Night Out, drug takebacks, and other events that help to keep the community informed and in touch with their police department.
The Criminal Investigations Unit is comprised of a Detective Sergeant, three General Detectives, a Crime Analyst and a Detective assigned to the Central Virginia Regional Narcotics Task Force. Detectives have the primary responsibility for the investigation of serious or serial crimes. Crimes commonly assigned to the unit include rape, robbery, homicide, burglary, sex offenses, missing persons, and serious fraud-related incidents. These detectives also assist in quality-of-life investigations and assist in drug investigations. The task force officer assigned to the Virginia State Police Central Virginia Regional Narcotics Task Force has a primary focus on the investigation of middle-and upper-level drug dealers.
Detectives are trained in complex criminal investigations, interviewing and interrogation, forensics, and photography. Detectives receive training in specialized fields such as computer fraud, internet crimes, child sexual abuse, narcotics investigations, and human trafficking. Detectives are regularly enrolled in advanced training to expand their knowledge and skills necessary to carry out these complex investigations.
The Investigations Unit routinely works with other local, state, and federal agencies to investigate crimes in Colonial Heights as well as the region. Agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations; U.S. Secret Service; Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; and the Virginia State Police provide or receive assistance from the Investigations Division annually.
The Animal Control Unit of the Colonial Heights Police Department is comprised of one full-time Animal Control Supervisor (ACS), one full-time Animal Control Officer (ACO), one full-time Animal Control Aide, and two part-time Animal Control Aides. They are responsible for investigations related to domestic and companion animals, respond to calls for service, enforce state and local domestic animal laws, conduct investigations, and provide general guidance for citizen inquiries. In addition, they house and care for animals at the shelter and are responsible for cleaning, feeding, and providing medical care.
Our Mission
"Serving and protecting our citizens, businesses and visitors through pro-active, community-focused policing that fosters safety, trust and well-being."
Our Vision
To be a trusted, innovative, and community-focused agency that values and empowers our employees, leads with integrity and enhances the quality of life for all who live, work and play in the City of Colonial Heights.
Our Values
- Integrity: We act with honesty, transparency and accountability in all that we do.
- Community: We work to build and maintain strong partnerships with our community.
- Respect: We respect the rights of all individuals and treat everyone with fairness and empathy.
- Excellence: We strive to improve in all aspects of our service to meet the ever-changing needs of our community.
- Innovation: We embrace new technology and creative strategies to improve our effectiveness and efficiency.
- Well-Being: We support the physical and mental well-being of our employees to ensure a resilient and effective workforce.