The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has recertified the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority’s (ABC) Bureau of Law Enforcement Training Academy, reaffirming its status as an authorized in-service academy.
The recertification is required every three years and involves an examination of the academy’s administration, personnel, instruction and facility standards and policies, to ensure compliance with DCJS standards.
ABC’s training academy was last certified in April 2018.
“Virginia ABC’s Bureau of Law Enforcement is proud of its commitment to providing a comprehensive training program to ensure the highest caliber service to our partners in the community and for, once again, earning recertification,” says Virginia ABC Chief Executive Officer Travis Hill. “The training is critical to support an ongoing culture of professionalism and accountability.”
Virginia ABC’s in-service enforcement training academy is authorized to provide all required in-service training to its entire sworn cadre. This includes at least 34 hours of career development training, two hours of cultural diversity training and four hours of legal training, 40 hours total, every two years.
Career development training also encompasses firearms training and other skill-based training such as defensive driving and defensive tactics.
New agents who have not been previously certified as police officers are required to first complete an authorized entry-level academy at the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy in Lynchburg. The new agents are required to complete approximately 26 weeks of entry-level training in accordance with the DCJS minimum standards for police officers in the commonwealth.
Virginia ABC is accredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC), which also requires an evaluation of the authority’s policies related to training to ensure compliance with the highest standards and best practices. This accreditation process, which is broader in scope, involves an evaluation by an independent panel of certified assessors who measure four performance areas including administration, operations, personnel and training against established criteria.
