Our Commitment

This page includes information on our commitment to the training of our deputies to protect and preserve life, and the most frequently asked questions received from our community of the agency’s Body-Worn Camera (BWC) program, de-escalation training, and response to resistance (use of force) investigations. 

Professionalism

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has been at the forefront of de-escalation training, utilizing technology for the safety of our residents and deputies, and has been recognized both regionally and nationally as a model agency for our Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program. The CIT program ensures that all of our residents are treated with compassion and respect. 

We engage our community through courteous and proactive outreach and communication and work diligently to constantly improve our professionalism and will continue to be transparent in our actions and policies. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office encourages active engagement from all of our community members and our office works tirelessly to ensure that Loudoun County is the best place to live, work, and visit.

As part of these efforts, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office hosts a Citizens’ Police Academy twice a year to further engage and provide Loudoun residents and business owners with the knowledge and understanding of our personnel, policies, and practices. 

Body Worn & In-car Cameras

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office was one of the first agencies in the Northern Virginia region to initiate a body-worn camera (BWC) pilot program. In October 2020, the LCSO announced the expansion of the BWC program. The LCSO has 244 body-worn cameras distributed to deputies throughout the agency and 334 in-car cameras installed in every cruiser within the operations division. The original cameras have been updated and improved for field use. The newly implemented cameras offer additional features, such as automatic activation when a vehicle’s emergency equipment is activated.

BWCs are currently activated during law enforcement-public encounters related to a call for service or law enforcement action, subject stop, traffic stop, and/or deputy services. The in-car cameras are automatically activated when emergency equipment (lights and sirens) is turned on. The new system will turn on both the BWC and the in-car camera when either is in range and activated.

Response to Resistance/Use of Force

We want to assure residents that anytime a deputy is involved in a physical encounter, even the most slight, it is investigated whether a complaint is received or not. A supervisor will evaluate the application, necessity, and reasonableness of the response to resistance when conducting a thorough and objective review of the incident. Use of force incident is documented and reviewed by the members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office leadership and executive teams.

  • De-escalation training begins upon the hiring of each deputy as they attend the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy (NVCJTA) and is further enhanced during our Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and Advanced Crisis Intervention Training. As you may be aware, the LCSO has been recognized both regionally and nationally as a model agency for our CIT program. You can learn more about our training below and information on training policies and philosophies at the NVCJTA.
  • De-escalation is a part of the training of every new recruit at the NVCJTA. This is taught in-classroom training and reinforced through practical, hands-on training. Even a wall inside the facility reads Distance + Cover = Time. This reinforces de-escalation during any encounter to slow it down, formulate a plan, and communicate. Again, this process is reinforced in our CIT program, where communication is the key to de-escalating any situation.
  • A chokehold is not a police tactic and is not taught as a form of training. Loudoun County Sheriff’s Deputies are explicitly trained not to use chokeholds.
  • Whenever feasible, warnings shall be given and verbal commands are stressed for every use of force. All deputies with the LCSO will exhaust all means before using deadly force and it is always a last resort.
  • It is clear in our policies that all deputies have an affirmative duty to act if they observe another deputy using force that is clearly beyond that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances and shall safely intercede to prevent the use of excessive force. Deputies shall promptly report any such incident to a supervisor.
  • It is also clear in our policies that deputies shall not discharge a weapon at or from a moving vehicle except under the most aggravated circumstances.
  • Anytime a deputy uses force it must be objectively reasonable, and use of force is required to be documented. If a deputy is involved in a physical encounter, even the most slight, it is investigated whether a complaint is received or not. A supervisor will evaluate the application, necessity, and reasonableness of the response to resistance when conducting a thorough and objective review of the incident. A documented use of force incident is reviewed by the members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office leadership and executive teams. Any threats of force would involve a criminal act, and be documented in the corresponding report.

Training

All new LCSO employees receive mandatory training within the first 10 days of hire, including diversity training and Sexual Harassment Awareness training. Upon their initial hiring, all new hires are presented with ethics training by members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Internal Affairs section, including implicit bias training.

New patrol deputies continue their law enforcement education at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy during a 6-month training academy, which includes implicit bias training with Dr. Joseph Williams from the University of Virginia, as well as Policing a Diverse Society. After completion of the six-month academy, the deputies receive four months of field training prior to being released on their own to the Patrol Division. 

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office works tirelessly to take proactive measures to train, educate, and provide support services to all staff.

Some of these initiatives include: 

  • Providing deputies and staff with in-service training on a myriad of topics including Fair and Impartial Policing, Implicit Bias & Policing in a Diverse Environment, Unconscious Bias, Racial Ethnic and Disparity, Cultural Diversity, Cultural Diversity in the School Setting, Understanding Conflict, Conflict Resolution, and Decision Making are to name just a few.
  • In 2012, the LCSO created a nationally recognized Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). This team is designed to protect the safety, dignity, and rights of persons suffering from mental health issues and protect the community from potentially dangerous behavior. CIT deputies have specialized training in recognizing signs and symptoms of persons experiencing a behavioral crisis while maintaining officer and public safety.
  • Formation of a Peer Support Team which assists members of the department with connecting to services such as the Employees Assistance Program, Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program, Loudoun First Responders Foundation, Boulder Crest Retreat, etc.
  • Other programs and services that are offered to the community include the Chaplain Program, Victim Services, Community Outreach & Education, Project Lifesaver, Operation Inventory, Security Survey Services, fingerprinting services, etc.

The LCSO is accredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) and was called a ‘model agency’ in the Commonwealth of Virginia after obtaining reaccreditation in 2017. In 2022, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office achieved a perfect accreditation, with 100% compliance by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLPEPSC). 

This designation, first awarded to the LCSO in 1999, was established to provide law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth with an avenue for demonstrating that they meet commonly accepted standards for efficient and effective agency operation.

Agencies wishing to retain accredited status must complete the accreditation process every four years. During the four-year period, the agency must submit annual reports attesting to the continued compliance with accreditation standards.  The standards of accreditation cover all aspects of the agency including patrol, administrative and special operation functions, court security, civil process, criminal investigations, and budget.

Community Policing Data Collection Act

The LCSO collects data as part of the Virginia Community Policing Data Collection Act which went into effect on July 1, 2020. The act requires that each time a local law-enforcement officer or State Police officer stops a driver of a motor vehicle the officer collect the following data based on the officer's observation or information provided to the officer by the driver: (i) the race, ethnicity, age, and gender of the person stopped; (ii) the reason for the stop; (iii) the location of the stop; (iv) whether a warning, written citation, or summons was issued or whether any persons were arrested; (v) if a warning, written citation, or summons was issued or an arrest was made, the warning provided, violation charged, or crime charged; and (vi) whether the vehicle or any person was searched. The first quarterly report shows that 5,359 traffic stops were conducted by the LCSO. 

Deputies do not ask a driver's race or ethnicity, consequently, these numbers are based on a deputy’s assumption.

Links

If you should have further questions, please visit our Citizen Feedback page.