Virginia State Police
| Virginia Department of State Police | |
|---|---|
Patch of Virginia State Police | |
Badge of a Trooper | |
Flag of the Commonwealth of Virginia | |
| Common name | Virginia State Police |
| Abbreviation | VSP |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1932 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Employees | 2,966 (as of September 24, 2018) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | U.S. |
| Virginia State Police Divisions Map | |
| Size | 42,774 square miles (110,780 km2) |
| Population | 8,470,020 (July 1, 2017 estimate) |
| Legal jurisdiction | State of Virginia |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | North Chesterfield, Virginia |
| Troopers & Special Agents | 2,118 (as of 2018) |
| Civilian employees | 848 civilian employees (as of 2018) |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | Virginia Secretary of Public Safety |
| Divisions | 7 |
| Facilities | |
| Airplanes | 4 |
| Helicopters | 7 |
| Website | |
| www.vsp.virginia.gov | |
The Virginia State Police, officially the Virginia Department of State Police, conceived in 1919 and established in 1932, is the state police force for the U.S. state of Virginia. The agency originated out of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles as an inspector and enforcer of highway laws. It is currently one of fourteen agencies within the Cabinet Secretariat of Public Safety. On January 18, 2018, Gary T. Settle was sworn in as Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. Colonel Settle replaced retiring Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, who had served since 2003. On November 5, 2024 Lieutenant Colonel Matt Hanley was appointed Interim Superintendent by Governor Glenn Youngkin, after Colonel Settle announced his retirement, effective February 1, 2025.