Primary Goal

The Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office role is to enforce the law in a fair, courteous and impartial manner, recognizing both the statutory and judicial limitation of its authority and the constitutional rights of all individuals.

I. Functional Objectives

A. Prevention of Crime

The Sheriff's Office is responsible for interacting with the community to generate mutual understanding to ensure that there will be public support for crime prevention. Community involvement is essential to facilitate a free flow of information between the public and the Sheriff's Office to assist in the identification of problem areas and to inform the public of crime statistics, patterns and trends. To assist with this goal, there are key programs incorporated such as the Call Back Safety Checks for our special needs and elderly citizens, the Residential Security Check Program, Business Check Program, and Neighborhood Watch.

B. Deterrence of Crime

Visible patrol units have been deployed to inspire the public's confidence in the Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office's ability to ensure a peaceful environment and to aid in receiving a balance of a desirable deterrent effect.

C. Apprehension of Offenders

It is the duty of the Sheriff's Office to initiate the criminal justice process by identifying, locating, and arresting perpetrators of law. It is also the duty of this office to obtain the necessary evidence, and to cooperate in the prosecution of cases.

D. Recovery and Return of Property

To minimize the losses due to crime, the Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office shall make every reasonable effort to recover lost or stolen property, to identify its owner, and to ensure its' prompt return. The actual cost of crime is difficult to measure; there can never be a simple dollar value assigned to the injured bodies, devastated lives, and the human misery which are the products of crime. However, it is possible to observe the steadily rising costs of lost, damaged and stolen property.

E. Movement of Traffic

To facilitate the safe and expeditious movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the Sheriff's Office shall enforce compliance with traffic laws. The Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office shall appropriately warn, cite, or arrest traffic law violators. Traffic accidents are investigated to protect the rights of the involved parties, to care for the injured, and to determine the causes of accidents so that corrective steps and methods of prevention may be developed.

F. Public Service

Maintain the safety and security of the citizens of Prince Edward County and increase public confidence in this office to better serve the community. Provide routine patrol throughout the community. Establish cooperative agreements among the Sheriff’s Office, Farmville Police Department, Longwood University Campus Police, Hampden-Sydney College Campus Police, and state law enforcement agencies. Continue to seek local, state, and federal funding to improve community outreach. Although law enforcement accreditation is not mandated by state law, we are in the final stages of the voluntary state accreditation process. The accreditation program offers practiced standards that help protect us from liability and it enhances the professionalism of this department which reflects upon the community.

II. Resource Objectives

A. Departmental Personnel

Require that law enforcement officers have the stamina, intelligence, moral courage, and emotional stability necessary to deal with human beings fairly and impartially. To obtain the caliber of personnel necessary for professional law enforcement, it is essential that the Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office aggressively pursue and continue to employ a program of providing equal employment, well-trained, qualified, and professional officers.

B. Utilization of Resources

Law enforcement is one of the most necessary, yet expensive and complex services provided by the County. The quality and the extent of the service provided are limited by the availability of resources. To ensure that the highest level of service is provided, the Prince Edward County Sheriff's Office will make use of the most efficient and effective management and budgeting techniques available.