LAW ENFORCEMENT
Uniform Patrol
The Uniform Patrol Division of the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office is the largest, most visible, and most recognizable of all of the divisions within the office. Patrol deputies are first responders who deter crime through proactive patrols, initiate criminal investigations, and enforce criminal state, local, and traffic laws. No two days are ever alike - calls for service cover the range of our community's needs: from checking on the welfare of a citizen to responding to major natural disasters. As the backbone of the Law Enforcement Division, patrols are active twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year.
Operations
Comprised of twenty-eight deputies, the Patrol Division is overseen by the Captain of Law Enforcement. The division is further broken down into four separate shifts, each overseen by a lieutenant and a sergeant. Additionally, a patrol K-9 unit supports the division, as well as citizens of the county who serve as auxiliary officers. Gloucester County's 288 square miles are divided into four major sectors, and the patrol units are assigned to these sectors during their tour of duty.
Certification / Training
All deputies initially obtain certification through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and must complete an accredited law enforcement basic academy. Training does not stop there, as they must continue learning through required in-service classes throughout their careers. Deputies further develop their skills by attending advanced classes to become field training officers, general instructors, and crisis intervention officers.
Many of our patrol deputies have obtained specialty instructor certifications, to include firearms, defensive tactics, and standardized field sobriety tests. Officers are also aware of the impact that a college education can have on their professional abilities, and many within the patrol ranks possess associates and bachelor's degrees - and a few are currently working on their graduate degrees. With these certifications and education, our patrol deputies teach officers both locally and regionally the skills needed to successfully serve their agencies and communities. With strong ties to the people they serve, they can also be found participating in community betterment projects, and are members of the various civic organizations that are found in Gloucester.
National Law Enforcement Challenge
In 2016, largely based on the work performed by the Patrol Division, our office placed first in our division (fifty to one hundred and fifty sworn officers) in the National Law Enforcement Challenge, presented by the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This award was based on our efforts and programs addressing the following during the 2015 campaign:
Aggressive and Impaired Driving
Crash Reductions
Occupant Protection
Public Education
Speed Enforcement
Traffic Enforcement
Youth Safety
Although the Sheriff's Office has placed first in the Commonwealth for three consecutive years, we have never received a national award - and we are proud to be the first agency in our area to do so.
Ride-Along
Interested in seeing what we do? Citizens may join our patrol deputies on a ride-along by completing and returning the Ride-Along form (PDF). Participants may ride-along once every twelve months.
Investigations
All investigators are trained to work general assignment cases. This gives each investigator the experience and expertise to work a wide variety of criminal cases. In addition to this, each investigator also works and trains to refine their skills in specific areas, such as:
Computer Crimes
Crimes Against Persons
Family and Child Abuse
Financial Crimes
Forensics
Violent Crimes
The Criminal Investigations Division works primarily felony cases that occur in Gloucester County. The investigations conducted by this division, involve citizens from all walks of life. The investigations are conducted diligently without prejudice, and guided by the “rule of law.” The “rule of law” insures that each victim, complainant, and suspect is treated appropriately and professionally.
Drug Task Force
Personnel assigned to the narcotics unit are actively involved with the Tri-Rivers Drug Task Force which also includes members from:
James City County Police Department
Mathews Sheriff's Office
Middlesex Sheriff's Office
Poquoson Police Department
Virginia State Police
York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office
The task force members work proportionately in each jurisdiction making several hundred cases per year.
Internet Crimes Against Children
The Gloucester Sheriff’s Office is an affiliate agency with the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and is the district coordinating agency for the task force. This task force is designed to investigate the sexual exploitation of children on the internet and provide community outreach education for parents and children.
Peninsula Crime Line Inc.
The Gloucester County Crime Line program is part of Peninsula Crime Line Inc. that also includes the cities of:
Hampton
James City County
Newport News
Poquoson
Williamsburg
York County
Hotline
The Crime Line is a media, citizen, and law enforcement partnership developed to expose, reduce, and solve crimes. A sheriff’s office coordinator provides the day-to-day support for the program by working with dispatch / communications in an effort to monitor a “hotline” number 888-LOCK-U-UP (888-562-5887). Additional sheriff’s office units assist in the process.
Investigations, the patrol division, narcotic operations and sheriff’s office dispatch / communications all work together to make arrests, seize drugs and property, and gather and act upon confidential information identified as “tips” from anonymous callers. Caller identities and information remain confidential through the issuance of caller control numbers assigned by dispatch / communications.
K-9 Unit
Training
Both dogs receive continuous instruction - some sort of training nearly every day is the norm. Both Zeus and Duke test annually in their respective disciplines to maintain their certifications. Their handler, Master Deputy Phil Lutz, is an American Society of Canine Trainers (ASCT) certified trainer and one of only two of such officers in the Tidewater area. He has been with our modern K-9 program since the start and is a driving force in it’s success.
K-9 History
The use of canines in law enforcement has a long history, dating back to the 1800s, and the services they have supplied have been varied and noteworthy. With their commanding presence, highly tuned senses, and willingness to learn, police dogs have found themselves trained for patrol work, search and rescue situations, arson investigations, suspect apprehension, and much more. The use of dogs in police work increased in the United States since the 1970's, and their presence can be seen at the federal, state, and local law enforcement levels. Demand for their services has only increased in the modern era of public safety. Throughout this time, popular police dog breeds have included:
Belgian Malinois
Bloodhounds
Doberman Pinschers
Dutch Shepherds
Labrador Retrievers
Basset Hounds
Beagles
German Shepherds
Vest
In 2020, Deputy Zeus was one of many working dogs across the nation who received a ballistic and stab resistant vest from the non-profit group Vested Interest in K9’s, Inc. Based out of East Taunton, Massachusetts, the charity’s mission is to help protect the dogs that serve in communities across the United States. We are very thankful and grateful for their gift of protection for one of our favorite furry deputies.
Additional Information
For further information about Deputies Zeus, Duke, or our K-9 program please email Sergeant Brad Simmons.
Zeus
Zeus is a two-and-a-half-year-old German Sheppard who originally hailed from Slovakia from a distinct “working dog” bloodline. Zeus is well trained in building searches, tracking, handler protection, controlled aggression, as well as article and drug searches. He is a graduate of the Excelsior K9 Training Academy in Florida and took over the duties formerly handled by Rexi, our beloved male Sable German Shepard who came to us through the “K9’s 4 Cops” grant program in 2015. Rexi served in Afghanistan for three years under various capacities before finding his way to us for three more years of service before retiring in 2018.
Duke
Duke is a four-year-old Bloodhound named after our very own Gloucester Dukes. Donated to our office in 2017 at the age of twelve weeks, Duke later completed the American Society of Canine Trainer’s course in specific scent tracking and trailing, and he has proven to be exceptional in his work. Duke has closed many cases in his time with us: this past year alone he has tracked down multiple missing persons, criminal suspects, and serves as a goodwill ambassador, representing the office at various community events and gatherings.
School Resource Officers
Gloucester County school resource officers are individually selected and specialized deputy sheriffs who receive additional training beyond that of a uniform patrol deputy: this includes topics such as cyber safety, how to work effectively with students, and violence prevention in schools. While they do have law enforcement powers, a greater focus is on informal mentoring and counseling, building relationships with the staff and students at their schools, and even some in-person instruction.
School resource officers are currently assigned to both Peasley and Page Middle Schools as well as Gloucester High School: the program is expanding in 2022 to include a presence in all County elementary schools. Not only are officers assigned to protect and provide security for these schools, they also present themselves as positive role models for our community’s youth on a daily basis. In addition, they monitor and control traffic during the reporting and releasing of students to ensure the safe flow of buses, private vehicles and pedestrians on our busy highways.
Questions concerning our School Resource Program or officers can be emailed to supervisor Lieutenant Julian Petrowicz.
Meet Our School Resource Officers
Deputy Butler: Achilles
Deputy Cox: Petsworth
Deputy Sharp: Abingdon
Deputy Johnson: Page
Deputy Krause: Botetourt
Sergeant Billups: DARE Officer/ Bethel
Deputy Carter: Peasley
Lt. Petrowicz and Deputy Skay: GHS
Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)
D.A.R.E is a collaborative effort by certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and community to offer an educational program in the classroom to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth. The emphasis of the program is to help students recognize and resist the many direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, or other drugs or to engage in violence.
Preventive Strategies
The D.A.R.E program offers preventive strategies to enhance those protective factors especially bonding to the family, school, and community which appear to foster the development of resiliency in young people who may be at risk for substance abuse or other problem behaviors. Researchers have identified certain protective and social bonding factors in the family, school and community which may foster resiliency in young people; in other words, the capacity of young people for healthy, independent growth in spite of adverse conditions. These strategies focus on the development of:
Communication Skills
Conflict Resolution
Decision Making
Empathy
Independence
Positive Alternative Activities to Drug Abuse and Other Destructive Behaviors
Self-Esteem
Sense of Purpose
Social Competence
D.A.R.E is just one of several pro-active projects the Sheriff’s Office participates in with the community. The D.A.R.E pledge: “DARE to be yourself; DARE to be Drug and Violence Free!”
Questions
Please email Master Deputy Amanda Billups, our D.A.R.E Instructor, with any questions or concerns.
Donate
Submit a donation form (PDF).
Special Operations Unit
The mission of the Special Operations Unit is to provide a designated Law Enforcement Team, whose members are recruited, selected, highly trained, equipped and assigned to resolve critical incidents involving a threat to public safety which would otherwise exceed the capabilities of traditional law enforcement first responders and/or investigative units. This may include but is not limited to high risk warrant service, barricaded dangerous subjects, hostage rescue and search and rescue.