The department of criminal justice is a state agency within the commonwealth of virginia with the goal of ensuring law enforcement personnel in the commonwealth of virginia are following best practice…

The Community Oriented Policing Program within the Department of Justice awarded the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services $300,000 on October 1, 2025, to expand the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) accreditation program.

The project operates across two phases through September 30, 2027. Phase 1 delivers quarterly in-person and virtual trainings to VLEPSC-accredited agencies and those in self-assessment phase, covering new and revised VLEPSC standards, amended state code, and problem areas identified through assessments and compliance reviews. Phase 2 engages three new law enforcement agencies to pursue full accreditation and three additional agencies to enter the self-assessment phase, with particular focus on small and rural agencies.

The VLEPSC accreditation program aims to ensure law enforcement personnel across Virginia follow best practice policies and procedures in providing efficient, effective, and fair policing. The award is classified as a Project Grant under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710), which supports state and local law enforcement in implementing community policing strategies that build organizational capacity and advance public safety.

Work is performed in Richmond, Virginia.

The department of criminal justice is a state agency within the commonwealth of virginia with the goal of ensuring law enforcement personnel in the commonwealth of virginia are following best practice policies and procedures to provide efficient, effective, and fair policing through the virginia law enforcement professional standards commission (vlepsc) accreditation program. This project will grow the vlepsc accreditation program by growing and promoting accreditation through three phases. Phase 1 of the project will be to provide quarterly in-person trainings throughout virginia or provide virtual trainings to vlepsc agencies. The trainings cover new vlepsc standards, revisions to vlepsc standards, new or amended state code, and areas that have been identified as problem areas through assessments, mock assessments, and annual verification compliance accredited law enforcement agencies and law enforcement agencies in self-assessment phase. Phase 2 will be to work with 3 new law enforcement agencies to become accredited and 3 new agencies to enter the self-assessment phase with special emphasis on small and rural agencies.