Hanover County Quick Facts

2010 Accreditations and Re-Accreditations

The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) accredited the Hanover County Department of Emergency Communications as an Emergency Fire Dispatch Center of Excellence. Hanover County is the 14th Emergency Dispatch Center in the world to be awarded this highest distinction. The accreditation is the result of the Department’s comprehensive implementation and compliance with the Fire Priority Dispatch System and associated “20 Points of Excellence.” This is the Department’s second international accreditation in two years. In 2008, the Department became only the 123rd agency in the world to be accredited as an Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Center of Excellence by the IAED.

In April 2010, dual re-accreditation awards were presented to the Sheriff’s Office from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC). With these awards, the Sheriff’s Office remains one of only 24 law enforcement agencies in Virginia to have earned and maintained international designation through CALEA and one of 82 agencies in the Commonwealth to have earned and maintained state accreditation through the VLEPSC. Hanover is one of a handful of law enforcement agencies in the state to have both accreditations.

In October 2010, the Sheriff’s Office was accredited by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services as a Certified Crime Prevention Community. This is the second time the Sheriff’s Office has received this designation. The Sheriff’s Office is one of 13 Virginia jurisdictions that currently hold this designation. The program requires applicants to provide proof of overall community involvement in mandatory and optional criteria. Those agencies receiving certification have proved their dedication to the safety of the community. The evaluators of the Hanover County application noted, “Hanover’s emphasis on their senior and youth populations is clearly demonstrated in the strongest of their elements. Specifically, the School Safety Audit, Delinquency Prevention, and their optional elements of DARE TRIAD and School Resources Officer are their strongest and most outstanding elements.” The committee also said in their report that “Hanover had the lowest business crime levels in the Metro-Richmond area, having seen a decrease of 22% during the 2006-2009 reporting period.”