Virginia State Police

The Virginia state police have their headquarters in 7700 Midlothian Turnpike Richmond, Virginia. Their state police are responsible for policing Virginia State under the laws of the state, however, according to their mission statement; the police are supportive of other law enforcement agencies and cooperate with them to ensure the safety of Virginia residents and visitors. The state police have the vision of providing exemplary services by ensuring only highly skilled individuals engage in law enforcement. The state police also ensure a diverse workforce that balances service and education to ensure public satisfaction. The Virginia State police have 1,873 full-time sworn officers spend out in the 14 ranks structure of the police force (StateImpact, 2010). The State police also employ 688 unsworn personnel in different positions. The state police operate within the commonwealth of Virginia with the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety as the parent agency.
The Virginia state police are empowered under the law to conduct patrols and criminal investigations within the state of Virginia. The primary purpose of the patrols is to enforce motor vehicle laws, however, the patrols also respond to other incidences, such as riots, disturbances,
and providing security in public gatherings. The state police also provide Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) to the children schooling within the state. Although the core curriculum of DARE targets young children before they reach adolescence, there is a training program for parents. This program aims to educate the children and prepare them for the adolescence stage where they must certainly encounter drugs and other substances. The program trains the children on how to recognize and resist peer pressure, manage anger, assert self, and conduct resolution skills. The program also gives the children alternative activities they can engage in to enable them resist drugs and deal with stress (Sullivan et al., 2005). The DARE lesson start from kindergarten through to senior school and progressively increase in complexity as the children advances. The state police also run a Drug Diversion Unit (DDU). The obligation of DDU in the commonwealth is to reduce the diversion of legal drugs for illicit purposes. The issue of legal drug abuse is currently more rampant than the use of illegal drugs in the state. The DDU achieves its goals through education, enforcement, and prevention.
Role in homeland security
The attacks on 9/11 changed the country forever. On that fateful day, 2,977 people died in four different incidents including the pentagon. These events changed the role and mission of Virginia State police. A sound homeland security requires the involvement of a coalition of stakeholders. Through the development of the homeland security strategy, the stakeholders recognize that it is a shared responsibility with the citizens of the country at the heart of it. A good homeland security strategy prepares the public for an event like the 9/11 and provides them with the skills they need to survive during and after such an event. The Virginia state police play several roles in ensuring the preparedness of the citizens in the state. The state police strengthen planning and public preparedness capacities by maintaining a statewide scope of energy through collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure continuity planning (Howard, 2006).
The Virginia state police are responsible for ensuring compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Plan (NRP). Through education and training, the State police ensure compliance with the NIMS and NRP requirements. The State police also provide specific guidance and technical assistance to different levels of government to allow the identification and filling of any training and preparedness gaps. The state police provide information for training purposes to the public to ensure preparedness at a personal and community level. The state police identify and trains volunteers on disaster responses to ensure community preparedness. The state police also conduct test exercises to access the level of citizen preparedness and identify room for improvement. The police must also maintain a capacity for an effective chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) response (Renz, 2003).  Core values The Virginia State police have three core values. These include service, valor, and pride. The Virginia State police are dedicated to providing the highest quality services to the residents and visitors of the commonwealth. The members of staff are always very courageous in the dispensation of their duties and take satisfaction in ensuring they achieve the objectives of the department and the expectation of the public. Unlike the State police's core values, the SLU core values strongly focus on standards to ensure the greater good of the society. The lack of focus on values and the greater good of the society in the core values of the Virginia State police increase the likelihood of the police violating the constitution and the American tradition of personal freedoms in the dispensation of their responsibility. The 9/11 attack is a defining moment in the history of the force and contributes to the nature of the policies and core values. In an effort to safeguard the American way of life from external attacks, the State police attack it internally; this is counterproductive (Sullivan et al., 2005).  Fairfax County, VA Police/Fire Rescue The Fairfax County police department is serves the residents of the county and comprises of 1,402 police officers. The department also employs another 368 civilians and its only goal is to provide public safety services in accordance with the laws of Virginia State. The agency promotes community involvement and ensures the fair enforcement of the law for the betterment of the residents. The Fairfax county fire and rescue department provides emergency medical services, water rescues, fire suppression, technical rescues, safety education, and investigation services to the residents of the county. The department comprises of 1,300 sworn officers, and 600 unsworn officers (StateImpact, 2010). The purpose of the organization is to protect the life, property, and environment of the community in Fairfax County.  Role in homeland security The Fairfax County, VA Police/Fire Rescue coordinate with the State police to ensure continuity planning and preparedness of the citizens. The two departments have a high number of volunteers and citizens working with the sworn officers in line with national policy that need readies at the community level. The officers are responsible for training citizens within the county, including visits to schools to ensure students are adequately prepared for any unfortunate eventuality. The training focus for the residents, including the students, includes mitigation for unavoidable events and prevention for avoidable events. The officers conduct preparedness assessments to identify areas for improvements. The departments are the custodians of the equipments requirement for emergency responses (Howard, 2006).  Core values The core values of Fairfax County VA Police/Fire Rescue include high professional standards, inclusiveness, integrity, innovation, and effective communication. These values are necessary for departments to operate efficiently and serve the residents of the county in the best way possible. The county shares many similarities to the SLU because they both emphasize the importance of professionalism in the delivery of services. The SLU core values recognize standards whereas the Fairfax County VA Police/Fire Rescue core values recognize integrity and the trust placed on them by the public. SLU and Fairfax County VA Police/Fire Rescue are committed to ethical behavior by ensuring they adhere to their mission and core values (Sullivan et al., 2005). The core values of the departments are inclusive of the qualities necessary to ensure any person in a position of power respect the constitution and individual rights. References
Howard, R. D. (2006). Homeland security and terrorism: Readings and interpretations. New York [u.a.: McGraw-Hill.
Renz, W. (2003). Successful emergency preparedness. Nuclear Plant Journal, 21(3), 41.
StateImpact. (2010). Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2008 14. Sullivan, Larry E., et al. (2005). eds. Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement. 3 vols. Thousand Oaks. CA: SAGE Reference. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.