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Located in Central Virginia, Henrico County is approximately 245 square miles in size and has a population of more than 330,000. We are bordered by the City of Richmond, and the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover and New Kent.
Two major Interstate highways run through the County. Interstate 95 is a major North/South highway and is one of the busiest roads in the Country. Interstate 64 is an East/West highway ending in the Tidewater area of Virginia. Richmond International Airport is located in the County.
OUR CULTURE & CORE BELIEFS
Vision
To be cutting edge public-safety leaders dedicated to equality and civic trust.
Mission
Provide innovative and collaborative police services for a safe and thriving Henrico.
Values
Honor
With integrity as our foundation, we earn the respect and trust of the public and each other.
Professionalism
Professionalism is paramount; we achieve it through training and acting within the rule of law.
Commitment
We are committed to preventing crime, preserving order and ensuring the safety of the public.
Compassion
We treat everyone with dignity and compassion, regardless of circumstance.
Accountability
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of conduct while upholding the ideals of our Constitution and democratic society.
Guiding Principle
The Guiding Principle of the Henrico County Police Division is to treat everyone with respect, compassion and dignity. We will continually ask ourselves, “Do my actions reflect how I want members of my family to be treated?”
We serve a community of great diversity. Our Guiding Principle will help us achieve our vision to be cutting edge public-safety leaders dedicated to equality and civic trust.
As a law enforcement agency, our duty is to protect the public, ensure justice is served fairly and equitably, and uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
We are the guardians of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and as such, we accept our responsibility to live by our Guiding Principle with enthusiasm and commitment.
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Our New Uniforms
In 2023 the Henrico County Police Division began outfitting new uniforms for our sworn personnel.
Locally and nationwide, policing has changed over the years. From different vehicles to upgraded equipment – the needs of Henrico County have evolved over the Police Division’s 89-year existence, along with the type of crimes being investigated.
Another change is in the process, aiming to serve our community members better and prevent physical setbacks for our sworn personnel in the coming years.
Before Chief Eric D. English arrived in Henrico County, there were conversations about updating the Division’s police uniforms. Those conversations have now become a reality.
Since 1936, officers have worn blue/grey uniforms. Given only a few changes over the decades since 1940, such as the design of shoulder patches and the position of the shirt badge, the uniform has remained the same. As of 2024, the Henrico County Police Division will move forward in this new era of policing in brand-new uniforms. These uniforms will better regulate body temperature during the summer, are more comfortable and will look consistent in color (French Blue) Division-wide.
“The duty uniforms you may see our patrol wear with an outer vest are also meant to distribute the weight of equipment our officers carry, on a daily basis,” said Henrico Chief of Police Eric D. English. “The health and safety of each of our sworn personnel is paramount. These new uniforms will hopefully add to the longevity of service within the Division and avoid any physical setbacks later on.”
Beyond the physical uniforms, Henrico Police is focused on creating a Division reflective of the county it serves. In November 2020, under Chief English’s leadership, the personal appearance and grooming policy was updated. This modernized policy allows our sworn personnel to express who they are and perhaps connect with our community members on another level while instilling confidence in the Division and its members of the public.
“While the uniforms of our sworn personnel may be changing, the vision, mission and values within the Division remain the same,” said Henrico Police spokesperson Lt. Amy Kelley. “We are committed to serving our community each and every day and look forward to creating and building upon the relationships we have with our community members.”
Several officers in patrol are currently outfitted in these new uniforms; the rollout process is expected to continue over the next year. As a result, our community members may see our patrol officers outfitted in two different uniforms.
Please see the photos below of the new “French Blue” uniforms (Left to Right: Class-A Dress Uniform, Class-B Dress Uniform, Patrol/Duty Uniform (PDU)*).
*Officers have the choice of being outfitted with an outer carrier.
Our Logo
In August 2021, the Henrico County Police Division unveiled its new logo. The new logo comes at a time when Henrico Police, along with law enforcement agencies across the nation, are evolving to build trust and meet the needs of the community. Under the leadership of Chief Eric English, who remains focused on transparency, professionalism and engagement, the new logo signifies the Division’s commitment to continual improvement and superior service.
A diverse, internal workgroup of civilian, sworn and 911 staff, aptly called the Rebrand Workgroup, are credited with creating the new logo. After months of discussions, designs and revisions, the workgroup presented its work to division and county leaders for feedback and approval, finally unveiling the logo to Division members in July and August 2021. This same workgroup also developed the Division’s new vision, mission, values, guiding principle and tagline (as seen above), which was adopted and announced in December 2020.
“Our goal is to create a consistent experience across the board,” said former Office of Public Affairs Coordinator, Laura Beck, who led the workgroup through each phase of the Division’s rebrand. “Whether you’re reading a brochure, being given an officer’s business card with your incident number, interacting on social media, talking to a recruiter, or receiving one of the Division’s many services – a consistent experience is an important component of Henrico Police’s overall brand and affects public trust, perception and engagement.”
The workgroup’s design goal was to create a logo that Division members and the community alike find meaningful, representative and engaging. A circle was used to symbolize a sense of wholeness and harmony amongst police and community. The logo’s font exudes tradition, respect and honor. Often associated with police and emergency communications, the colors blue and gold were used; these colors also complement many of the Division’s existing assets, such as patrol vehicles and uniforms. A modernized silhouette portraying Pocahontas was used to honor our connection to Henrico County, whose seal depicts Pocahontas and ‘is a symbol of ongoing efforts to unify and honor the diversity of our community.’ Decorative badges are used to represent our sworn Police Officers, and a discrete phone headset, which was designed to look like a wisp of hair so as to not compromise the historical integrity of Pocahontas, represents our 911 Public-Safety Dispatchers. Due to the creation of the Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) as a stand-alone agency in July 2023, Police Command Staff approved a proposal to remove the wisp from the police logo.
The new Henrico Police logo will be rolled-out over time. The community will start to see the logo on the Division’s social media pages, online, at community walks and events, and in our Community Services and recruitment materials. There are no plans to outfit police vehicles with the logo at this time, though the Division will look at ways to incorporate it on its vehicles in the future. An internal uniform committee, which was formed independent of the Rebrand Workgroup, has been tasked with evaluating the Division’s uniforms; this committee will determine and propose any new patch and uniform options to Division and county leadership for approval in the future.
Our History
The first known mention of an “officer” in Henrico was the appointment of a Special Police Officer on December 14, 1871. There is no further mention until 1908 when the Board of Supervisors recommended that a mounted patrol be used. The first major step toward today’s department was in 1915 when T. Wilson Seay was appointed the first Chief of Police. When the County converted to the County Manager form of government in 1934 there were 8 police officers. In 1938 the Board of Supervisors placed the Police Division under direct control of the County Manager, thus removing any political ties with the Sheriff’s office. The Police Division has seen steady growth and improvement over the past 75 plus years. For a more complete history of the Division, download the Police Division History document.
With an authorized complement of over 600 sworn police officers, the Chief of Police is the chief law enforcement officer in the County. The Chief is appointed by the County Manager. The elected Sheriff’s primary duties are managing the jail, court security, and the service of civil process. For details on the Division’s current organizational structure, download our Table of Organization.
The Henrico County Police is fully accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
