Official government websites use .gov
Email addresses now end with henrico.gov
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
Henrico Police is a progressive agency with many specialized units and teams. Take a look at a handful of these units/teams and the work they do.
Patrol Bureau
Patrol officers provide 24-hour uniformed response to calls for service, routine and directed patrol activities, vehicular crash investigation, traffic and criminal law enforcement, intelligence-led policing projects, and the preliminary investigation of certain criminal offenses. Every sworn member of Henrico Police starts their career as a patrol officer.
Investigative Bureau
Our Criminal Investigations Section is comprised of many specialized units. Units include the Fugitive Apprehension Team, General Investigations, Violent Crimes, Robbery, Task Force, Special Victims, Forensics, Digital Forensics, Cyber Crime and Polygraph. The majority of detectives work in this section of the Division.
Community Policing
Our Community Policing Unit provides specialized law enforcement service to communities throughout Henrico County. Community Officers build rapport with residents and help them address community concerns and problems; which in turn aids in crime prevention. Community Officers also develop strategic response plans to combat crime and quality of life issues using crime trend data in the areas they serve.
Prevention Services
Our Prevention Services Unit is comprised of sworn and civilian personnel working to ensure the safety of residents, neighborhoods and businesses through various crime-prevention programs, collaboration and outreach. The unit’s Crisis Intervention Team aids residents with mental health issues during a crisis and helps facilitate services to aid recovery.
School Services
Our School Services Unit oversees the safety of 72 schools and educational centers in the county and nearly 60,000 total students and school staff. Not only do School Resource Officers ensure the safety of students and school staff, they mentor students, provide age-specific education around important issues such as drugs, alcohol and traffic safety, and serve as a resource for delinquency prevention.
Animal Protection Police
Our Animal Protection Police Unit enforces state and county wildlife and domestic animal codes , documents rabies exposures; tracks and controls dangerous and vicious dogs; disposes of sick, dangerous, and unwanted animals; provides public education programs; conducts quarterly low cost rabies clinics; and serves in a police capacity in support of Patrol Operations when necessary. The unit also manages the Henrico Animal Shelter.
K-9 Unit
Our K-9 Unit consists of sworn police officers and their canine partners, specially trained in human tracking and drug and bomb detection. Each K-9 Officer is also a handler, meaning they train and care for their canine partner. K-9 Officers work closely with their canine partners to enforce laws and apprehend criminals.
Crash Investigation Team
Officers on our Crash Investigations Team are highly trained in crash reconstruction. They use tire marks, crash scene measurements, witness accounts and a variety of other evidence from a crash scene to determine how a crash occurred, including vehicle speed before impact. Crash team officers are often called as expert witnesses in court.
In addition to investigating life threatening and/or fatal traffic crashes, crash team officers provide technical assistance and training. They enforce traffic laws, investigate traffic complaints, conduct traffic safety surveys and work with traffic engineers. They provide assistance with funeral and dignitary escorts, school crossing posts, and are responsible for breathalyzer equipment maintenance and record keeping.
Marine Unit
The primary responsibility of our Marine Patrol Unit is Homeland Security to the Port of Richmond, James River Channel, and other critical maritime infrastructures in Henrico County. To ensure the safety of our waterways, Marine Patrol Officers enforce Virginia’s DUI and boating safety laws, interdict contraband, enforce speed limits in no wake zones, and assist disabled or stranded boaters. They also offer rapid response to water related crimes, accidents, injuries and hazards.
Metro Aviation Unit
The Metro Aviation Unit exemplifies the power of regional partnerships. Three jurisdictions; Henrico County, the City of Richmond, and Chesterfield County share the financial and operational responsibilities of the Metro Aviation Unit. The unit is staffed by specially-trained officers who are also FAA licensed pilots.
Metro Aviation performs extradition transports, aerial surveillance for foot and vehicle pursuits, traffic control, drug interdiction, and provide an aerial perspective for fires, accident scenes and disaster damage.
Motor Unit
Our Motor Unit is comprised of specially-trained police officers and a fleet of motorcycles outfitted for law enforcement activities. These highly maneuverable vehicles are indispensable for controlling high-volume traffic situations as they are able to move when traffic is at a standstill. Police motorcycles are able to go where patrol vehicles cannot.
Motor Unit Officers conduct traffic-safety operations, speed enforcement, and provide escorts for visiting dignitaries and funeral processions. They provide support for crash investigations, school crossing assignments, various calls for service, parking enforcement, and with community programs and other special events.
Motorist Assistance
The Henrico Police Motorist Assistance team is comprised of community volunteers, many of which are Citizens’ Police Academy graduates. Volunteers must complete a six-week training course before being deputized and joining the Motorist Assistance program.
Working day and night in all types of weather conditions, the Motorist Assistance team perform a variety of duties, from assisting disabled vehicles to directing traffic. They are indispensable to officers at crash scenes by directing traffic, allowing officers to assist crash victims and work crash scenes. The Motorist Assistance team often stands by for wreckers to arrive, freeing up patrol officers to respond to other calls for service.
