The Law Enforcement Services Section is composed of three teams of law enforcement and criminal justice specialists serving Virginia’s state and local law enforcement agencies. They are the Law Enforcement Services Team (LEST), the Crime Prevention Center (CPC), and the Office of Homeland Security (OHS).

Law Enforcement Services Team (LEST)

The Law Enforcement Services Team (LEST) administers grants, specialized training and other support services to Virginia law enforcement agencies. Its staff administers the state law enforcement agency accreditation program through the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC), performs agency management studies, and develops model policies/directives so that local agencies maintain the highest possible levels of professionalism and service provision.

Specialists within LEST provide training and assistance in the areas of grant writing and administration, policy, and other subjects. Assistant Section Chief Ernest O'Boyle is Manager of the LEST. He may be contacted at 804.786.7811 or by e-mail.

Crime Prevention Center (CPC)

The Crime Prevention Center (CPC) initiates and maintains special programs such as the Crime Prevention Specialist (CPS) program, the Certified Crime Prevention Community Program (CCPCP) and the Private Crime Prevention Practitioner (PCPP) certification program. It also monitors the statewide Neighborhood Watch program (.pdf, 28 pages) and assists organizations such as the Virginia Crime Prevention Association and the Virginia Crime Analysts Network. Assistant Section Chief Tami Wyrick is the Manager of the CPC. She can be contacted at 804.786.5664 or by e-mail.

Office of Homeland Security (OHS)

The Office of Homeland Security is committed to assisting the state-wide law enforcement community, both government and private industry, by bringing together information and resources to prevent, prepare for, and respond to a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other catastrophic emergency. The Office Coordinator, Sam Hoffman, welcomes your questions and comments. He may be contacted at 804.225.3899 or by e-mail.

National/Non-Virginia Sponsored Training Opportunities

Important Links & Publications

• Status of Virginia's School Resource Officers: 2007 (.pdf, 8 pages)
  
• The Status of Neighborhood Watch in Virginia, March 2003(.pdf, 28 pages)
• Certified Crime Prevention Community Program
• Sample Directives Manual for Law Enforcement Agencies
• Second Annual Evaluation of DCJS Funded SRO Programs (.pdf, 28 pages)
• SRO Quarterly Progress Report - FY06 (.rtf or .doc, 3 pages)
• Virginia School Resource Officer Grant Opportunities
• Report of the Governor's Advisory Panel on Biased-Based Reporting