The staff of Virginia State Parks works hard to make your stay as worry-free as possible. One of the ways we accomplish this is by maintaining our law enforcement accreditation and staff. Law enforcement is only one of many aspects of the job but nearly all parks have conservation officers on staff.

Pictured left to right are the new DCR Conservation Officers are Joshua Grasty, Park Ranger Lake Anna State Park; Kenneth Strum, Chief Ranger Chippokes State Park; Benjamin Richards, Assistant Park Manager Chippokes State Park; Jennifer Huggins, Chief Ranger First Landing State Park; Thomas Stevens, Chief Ranger Westmoreland State Park; Travis Wyman, Park Ranger Shenandoah River State Park with Craig Seaver, Virginia State Parks Director.

The 64th Basic Law Enforcement class graduated from Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy in Salem,VA on Wednesday, May 20, 2015. The recruit officers were from 10 different state and local law enforcement agencies, including six employees of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of State Parks.

Jennifer L. Huggins, Thomas M. Stevens, and Kenneth J. Strum all received awards for academic achievement. In addition Chief Ranger Kenneth Strum graduated first in the class with an overall score of 93.02% and received the W.D. Lorton/Grover T. Martin Award for Excellence in Training.

All six had a great attitude towards the training, and worked hard both as individuals and as a team to be successful.

We are proud of all our law enforcement officers who work to maintain excellence in the field.

Virginia State Parks Conservation Officers are required to participate in both online and in-person inservice training

The new officers will now begin an 8 week field training program that will pair them with veteran officers who will guide and mentor them as they apply the lessons learned in training to policing in our state parks. They will then, annually, attend Virginia State Park inservice training with all other agency conservation officers.

Our law enforcement program is accredited from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission. DCR joined several universities and the Capitol Police as one of only five state agencies with this certification. With 37 offices across the commonwealth DCR was the first Virginia agency with statewide coverage to be recognized by the commission. Virginia State Police are accredited by a national organization.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL DONE!