About the VBSO
Under the leadership of Sheriff Rocky Holcomb, the 500 appointees of the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office work for the public safety and betterment of Virginia Beach by operating the Correctional Center, providing Courthouse security, serving civil paperwork, and volunteering in the community. We accomplish our mission through our core values: commitment, integrity, compassion, and professionalism.
The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office is a constitutional office that operates under Virginia §15.2-1609 . The Sheriff is elected by the voters to four-year terms.
Services of the Sheriff's Office
The services provided by the Sheriff's Office are divided into two primary divisions:
Operations | Administration |
|---|---|
Correctional Operations & Administration – Provides for the care and custody of people admitted into the Virginia Beach Correctional Center, including safety and security, food, medical care, and access to educational and work opportunities. | Court Support/Civil Process/Transportation - Provides security and order in the various Virginia Beach courts and processes and serves civil documents received from the courts. Transports juvenile and adult offenders to and from court, medical appointments, and state and local correctional facilities. Oversees emergency planning and operations. |
Correctional Support - Processes arrestees for all law enforcement agencies utilizing the Virginia Beach Correctional Center under a contract with the City of Virginia Beach, which is 100% locally funded. This involves fingerprinting and photographing each arrestee. Keeps inmate records, handles laundry, property and mail for the jail, and runs the Reentry and Alternative Sentencing programs, including weekenders. | Training - Provides staff training to include indoctrination, Basic Academy and ongoing in-service training. Includes the Emergency Response Team, Honor Guard and Community Outreach. |
Criminal Intelligence Unit/Classification/K-9 - Investigates and prosecutes any criminal misconduct or rule violation committed by those persons incarcerated within the Virginia Beach Correctional Center. Also assists with other law enforcement investigations. Is responsible for all inmate housing assignments as well as screening inmates for work and life programs, such as the GED, Substance Abuse, Workforce and Trusty programs. Maintains compliance with Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards. | Administration & Human Resources - Provides human resources, recruitment, procurement services and financial administration/accounting |
Inmate Services – Operates the Canteen and the Inmate and Staff kitchens. | Community Engagement – Oversees community engagement and involvement, including all office volunteer efforts. |
Professional Standards & Accountability – Develops, implements and ensures compliance with office policies and procedures. Investigates all internal and external complaints,serious incidents and policy violations. Maintains compliance with state accreditation standards, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Sheriff’s Aide -Serves as executive aide to the Sheriff and is responsible for all maintenance functions of the Correctional Center and Law Enforcement Training Academy. Also serves as the liaison with City Information Technology.
Public Information Office - Responds to requests from the public and the media and manages internal and external communications, including social media.
Staff Attorney - Provides overall legal advice and guidance.