Special Units
- Traffic Safety Unit
- Bike Team
- Greater Richmond Narcotics Task Force
- High Risk Entry Team
- Hostage Negotiation Team
- K-9 Unit
- Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force
- Reserve Unit
- Search and Rescue Team
- Underwater Forensic Team
- Virginia Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Documentation
Traffic Safety Unit
Sergeant and eight patrol deputies have received specialized training in the area of crash investigation and reconstruction, to include speed analysis, crash data retrieval, and computer-assisted measuring and diagramming of crash scenes. This unit also analyzes crash data throughout the county and creates strategies aimed at increasing traffic safety and reducing injuries and deaths. Among other things, these strategies include checkpoints, specialized patrols, child seat checks, educational events, and participation in Virginia's Click-It-or-Ticket program. All of these responsibilities are performed in addition to their regular duties within the Uniform Patrol Division.
Bike Team
The Hanover County Sheriff's Office Bike Team consists of nine officers and one Sergeant. All members are required to successfully complete a 40 hour comprehensive basic law enforcement bicycle patrol training and certification program. Bicycle operations provide a veresatile means of patrolling certain communities in Hanover County and assist in furthering the community policing and crime prevention efforts of this office. Bicycle operations provide for a better exchange of information between the Sheriff's Office and our citizens because the officers are more accessible and appropachable on bicycles than in a motor vehicle.
Greater Richmond Narcotics Task Force
This task force is made up of an investigator from each of the following agencies: the DEA; VA State Police; City of Richmond; Petersburg; Chesterfield; Henrico and Hanover to focus on major drug dealers who are considered to have an impact on the greater Richmond Metro area.
High Risk Entry Team (HRET)
This
team consists of a Lieutenant and 14 sworn members from all areas
of the Sheriff's Office who meet specialized and stringent criteria. They
receive hours of intensive training to respond to high risk situations
such as executing search warrants on major drug cases and hostage or barricade
situations. Members of this team perform their regularly assigned duties
and also attend special training with Henrico County and Richmond City
Police S.W.A.T. teams bi-monthly.
Hostage Negotiation Team
The Hanover County Sheriff's Office responds daily to emergency situations and most are quickly resolved. However, in the event a critical incident requires the need for focused communications and negotiation, the Sheriff's Office selects and trains several sworn personnel to respond effectively to any hostage or barricade scenario. Team members attend in-house training, regional and national courses and seminars. The members also instruct their peers on topics such as active listening and managing suicidal subjects. The Negotiation Team consists of one Sergeant, eight officers and two representatives from Hanover Mental Health. This team works closely with the High Risk Entry Team in safely resolving critical incidents. Both units working together has been highly effective. This team maintains an assortment of communication equipment and a mobile communication vehicle to conduct their tasks.
K-9 Unit
The Hanover County Sheriff's Office currently has two handler/canine teams. This unit is assigned to Patrol Operations and each member has extensive training in multiple patrol techniques to include tracking, apprehension, and building searches. Each team has graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy Basic Canine course and has received additional in-service training from state and national police work dog associations. The unit has been utilized in many different situations to include locating lost children and senior adults, article searches for criminal evidence, and high-risk occurrences.
Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force
Hanover uses the grand jury to assist in narcotics investigations. Members of the Narcotics/Vice Unit are sworn in by the special grand jury annually. This grand jury is an important tool for narcotics investigators in the Richmond area. It allows the members of law enforcement to gain extended information from narcotics traffickers.
Reserve Officers
The Sheriff's Office benefits from 9 citizens who are willing to donate their time to serve the county as sworn law enforcement officers. They receive the same training as paid officers, and a monthly in-service training. They work closely with patrol officers on each shift and also perform crowd control and traffic functions during parades and other large events.
Search and Rescue Team
Eight members of the Sheriff's Office have been trained by the Virginia Department of Emergency Services to conduct searches for the elderly, young children, or mentally ill persons who are missing. These searches are conducted with the area Fire Departments, Rescue Squads, organized dog search teams and citizen volunteers.
Underwater Forensic Team
Hanover’s six member Undewater Forensic Team was established in the spr
ing of 1999. Their mission is to locate, recover, and preserve evidence from an underwater environment during the course of a criminal investigation. The members are certified through the Professsional Association of Diving Instructors and receive training and certifications up to the level of Master Underwater Criminal Investigator. Hanover County is the only local law enforemcent agency in the Metro Richmond area to posssess an underwater criminal investigation unit.
Virginia Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Documentation (VALID)
Statewide investigators and Crime Analysts meet monthly to discuss criminal activity in their areas and exchange intelligence information. A monthly publication is produced and distributed statewide by the State Police on information provided by VALID.
