Edit Organization: Police Service (Department of Veterans Affairs)

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'''Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service (VA Police)''' is a federal law enforcement agency under the Veterans Health Administration, employing approximately 4,500 officers to secure over 1,200 VA medical centers, clinics, and facilities nationwide, protecting more than 9 million enrolled veterans and their caregivers. {{Official URL (simple)|url=https://www.va.gov/police/}} ==Mission== The VA Police Service aims to provide a safe, secure environment at VA facilities by enforcing federal laws, VA regulations, and state laws where applicable. It protects veterans, staff, and visitors, safeguards property, responds to emergencies, and prevents crime across the VA’s extensive healthcare network, ensuring uninterrupted delivery of medical services.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/about.asp |title=About VA Police |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Parent organization== The VA Police operates under the [[Veterans Health Administration]], within the [[Department of Veterans Affairs]], overseen by the Office of Security and Law Enforcement, ensuring security aligns with VHA’s healthcare mission.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/health/ |title=VHA Overview |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Legislation== The VA Police was formally authorized under [https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2021-title38/pdf/USCODE-2021-title38-partI-chap9-sec902.pdf Title 38 U.S.C. § 902], enacted in 1988, granting the Secretary of Veterans Affairs authority to establish a security force, with roots in earlier VA guard services from the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/history.asp |title=VA Police History |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Partners== * Local law enforcement for mutual aid * Federal agencies (e.g., FBI, DHS) for joint operations * VA Office of Inspector General for investigations<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/partners.asp |title=Partners |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Number of employees== The VA Police employs approximately 4,500 officers as of 2025, stationed at over 140 major facilities and numerous smaller sites, with staffing levels adjusted to meet security demands.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/about.asp |title=About VA Police |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Organization structure== The VA Police is centrally managed with local implementation: ===Leader=== The Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service is overseen by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Security and Law Enforcement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/security/leadership.asp |title=Security Leadership |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ===Divisions=== The divisions include: * Field Operations for facility policing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/services.asp |title=Services |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> * Training Division for officer certification at LETC. * Security Management for policy and oversight. ==List of programs== * Physical Security Program<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/services.asp |title=Services |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> * Emergency Response Coordination * Crime Prevention and Awareness ==Last total enacted budget== The specific budget for VA Police is not publicly isolated; it’s funded within VHA’s FY 2024 budget of $112.6 billion, with security costs integrated into facility operations, though exact figures remain undisclosed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/fy2024VAbudgetinbrief.pdf |title=FY 2024 Budget in Brief |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Staff== The VA Police staff includes 4,500 uniformed officers trained at the VA Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) in Little Rock, AR, with skills in law enforcement, de-escalation, and emergency response, supported by administrative personnel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/training.asp |title=Training |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Funding== Since its formalization in 1988, the VA Police has been funded through VA appropriations, with FY 2024’s $112.6 billion VHA budget supporting its operations, supplemented by facility-specific allocations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/fy2024VAbudgetinbrief.pdf |title=FY 2024 Budget in Brief |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Services provided== The VA Police provides armed law enforcement at VA facilities, conducts patrols, manages access control, responds to incidents like assaults or medical emergencies, and offers crime prevention training, ensuring safety across 1,200+ sites.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/services.asp |title=Services |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Regulations overseen== The VA Police enforces [https://www.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=1086 VA Directive 0730] (Security and Law Enforcement), governing security policies, and federal laws under Title 38 U.S.C. § 902.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=1086 |title=VA Directive 0730 |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Headquarters address== 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420 ==History== The VA Police traces its origins to armed guards at VA facilities in the 1920s, evolving into a formal force with Title 38 U.S.C. § 902 in 1988. It expanded post-9/11 with enhanced training at LETC (established 1970s), growing to 4,500 officers by 2025 to meet rising security needs at VA’s expanding network.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.va.gov/police/history.asp |title=VA Police History |publisher=Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref> ==Related== See Also Links to related programs articles or organizations: * [[Veterans Health Administration]] * [[VA Law Enforcement Training Center]] * [[Office of Security and Law Enforcement]] ==External links== * [https://www.va.gov/police/ Official Website] * [[wikipedia:United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police]] * [https://www.va.gov/security/ Office of Security and Law Enforcement] ==References== <references />