User:Phoenix1494/sandbox

= Law Enforcement in Virginia = Virginia uses a combination of Sheriff's Offices and Police Departments throughout the state. The primary state wide law enforcement agency is the Virginia State Police. For local law enforcement the Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency unless the county has voted to establish a Police Department. If the sheriff is relived of those responsibility the Sheriff's Office then becomes in charge of the court related matters. According to the state independent cities are the same as counties in terms of law enforcement.

Statewide Agencies
The Virginia State Police is the primary state law enforcement agency and is responsible for: Other state agencies include:
 * Highway Patrol
 * Administration of Concealed Carry Permits
 * Add more
 * Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
 * Virginia Department of Charitable Gaming
 * Virginia Department of Corrections
 * Virginia Department of Forestry
 * Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Conservation Police
 * Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice
 * Virginia Division of Capitol Police - Legislative Branch
 * Virginia Marine Resources Commission Marine Police
 * Virginia Port Authority Police
 * Virginia State Corporation Commission - Bailiffs
 * Virginia State Lottery Security Division
 * Virginia State Parks Police

Sheriff's Offices
Per every county must have and elect a sheriff. The Constitution sets the term length for a sheriff at four years. A sheriff in Virginia is also civilly and criminally liable for the acts of his deputy according to

Police Departments
Police departments are headed by a police chief who in all current cases report to one person, the county administrator.

Transitioning from Sheriff's Office to Police Department
To transition from a Sheriff's Office to a Police Department a referendum is required along with approval from the General Assembly. If this referendum is passed the sheriff is relived of law enforcement duties a is limited to court related duties. The sheriff's power technically cannot be limited but usually the sheriff is self limiting and is also limited by funding.

State Funding
State funding for sheriff's offices are appropriated through the state compensation board which appropriates funding based on number of residents. The target deputy to resident ratio set by the state is one deputy per 1500 residents for a locality with a full service Sheriff's Office.

County Police Department funds are appropriated through 399 funds whose apportionment system is established by the general assembly.

For town police departments there are two possibilities:
 * Towns within a county with a police department: Town police department receives the percentage of the money given to the county equal to its percentage of population of the county.
 * Town within a county with a sheriff's office : Funding is appropriated based on the police formula as previously described