Prince William County Sheriff's Office

The Prince William County, Virginia Sheriff's Office was established in 1731 to provide law enforcement and jailers for the County. In 1970, the Board of County Supervisors established the Prince William County Police Department which assumed the primary responsibility for law enforcement. In 1982, the Prince William County Adult Detention Center opened and assumed the duties of jailers. The Sheriff is a constitutional office elected by the Prince William County, City of Manassas and City of Manassas Park to provide certain public safety services.

Prince William County Sheriff's Office
AbbreviationPWCSO
Agency overview
Formed1731
Employees106
Annual budget$11.8 million (FY20)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionPrince William, Virginia, USA
Map of Prince William County Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction
Size348 square miles (900 km2)
Population402,002
Legal jurisdictionPrince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park
Governing bodyCounty (United States)
Constituting instrument
  • Yes
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersManassas, Virginia
Deputys88
Civilians11
Agency executive
Facilities
Stations1
Website
Official Website

History

The PWCSO was founded in 1731 and was the sole law enforcement agency for the county until 1970, when most patrol and investigations duties were turned over to the newly-formed Police Department. The agency is now responsible for courtroom security, all jail and prisoner operations, court orders and civil process operations, and fugitive tracking and apprehension.

In January 2021, after the identity of a deputy was revealed as advocating violence against Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Parler, the deputy was immediately fired. He had been a deputy for 15 years. He stated his account was hacked, though an anti-fascist activist was able to verify his identity through several sites.[1][2]

The current sheriff is Sheriff Glendell Hill (R). The county's first Black sheriff, he has been in the position since 2004. In that time he has modernized the agency, restored trust between the Sheriff's Office and the community, and reformed jail practices and inmate release programs.[3]

Divisions

Court Services

The Court Services Division includes both courtroom and courthouse security in and around the Prince William County Judicial Center Complex 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Deputies maintain order and facilitate the movement of prisoners in and out of the courtrooms. Duties include the protection of life and property for judges, court personnel, attorneys, citizens, prisoners and the entire court complex structure. State-of-the-art security systems are in place and all persons and packages entering the building are screened.

Operations
Prince William County Sheriff's Dodge Charger
Prince William County Sheriff's Dodge Charger
  • Civil Process The Prince William County Sheriff's Office Civil Process Deputies carry serve approximately 85,000 civil papers annually. The Deputies execute all court ordered Levies, Writs of Possession, Petitions, Protective Orders and delinquent tax warrants.
  • Transportation Deputies assigned to this section have the responsibility of moving prisoners to and from the Judicial Center and coordination of all mental proceedings and civil transports to court-ordered hospitals.
  • Fugitive Investigation Fugitive Investigation includes investigations into all fugitive and pretrial warrant service, which includes probation violations as well as planning and organizing extraditions from other states.

Administration

The Administrative Services section is responsible for processing all the civil papers the Department receives for service, collecting service fees, budgeting, and records management. Tracking and disbursement of civil papers is state mandated. The Sheriff's Office has integrated its records management system with the County's geographical information system for real-time address verification.

Professional Standards

The Office of Professional Standards is responsible for maintaining state accreditation, recruiting and training staff, and internal affairs investigations. This section also coordinates community service events and numerous partnerships with non-profit groups such as the Red Cross and the Rape Crisis Center. In 2005, the Sheriff's Office achieved re-accreditation for a second time, ensuring the highest level of standards are consistently met. New recruits must complete six months of basic law enforcement training.

Rank structure
Insignia Rank Information
 Sheriff Elected every four years by the county's citizens. Commanding officer of the PWCSO.
 Chief Deputy The Chief Deputy is the second-in-command of the agency.
 Captain Commander of one of three Divisions.
 Lieutenant Second-in-command of a Division or commander of an Office.
 First Sergeant Commander of a Unit.
 Sergeant Supervisor.
Master Deputy Senior personnel with limited supervisory authority.
Deputy

See also

References
  1. Robert Klemko (10 January 2021). "A small group of sleuths had been identifying right-wing extremists long before the attack on the Capitol". Washington Post. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  2. Antonio Olivo (26 December 2020). "Prince William County sheriff fires deputy for 'disturbing comments' on social media". Washington Post. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  3. "Prince William's first black Sheriff, Glen Hill, keeps good on his promises". Potomac Local News. 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
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