Sheriff Mark Butler’s Pledge Fulfilled: Warren County Sheriff’s Office Earns Accreditation

As your Sheriff, I am thrilled to announce that on June 1st, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office received official accreditation, becoming a recognized Virginia Law Enforcement Agency. This achievement is the fruit of relentless efforts since my election as Sheriff in 2019. Our hard work, dedication, and commitment to professionalism have brought us to this proud milestone.

I recall stepping into the role in 2019 and encountering the formidable challenge of an office that needed significant changes. From outdated policies, operational records, perplexing budget structure, and antiquated equipment, we faced obstacles that demanded immediate attention.

Undeterred by these challenges, we embarked on a mission to regain our community’s trust, modernize our methods, deepen community policing and engagement, and tackle drug issues plaguing Warren County. Our ultimate goal? To regain VLEPSC accreditation.

In 2020, we started with a thorough evaluation of our office to identify our strengths and weaknesses. We then embarked on an overhaul of our policies and procedures, aligning them with the stringent professional standards the Commonwealth of Virginia set forth. These revamped procedures formed the blueprint for hiring, training, promoting, budgeting, and operating.

Upon achieving these milestones, we rolled up our sleeves to modernize our record management and accountability software, followed by rigorous training for our workforce. Even as we stumbled upon challenges, we saw them as opportunities for growth and improvement, completing this substantial revision process within two years.

On February 6th, 2023, we willingly submitted to a professional audit by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). Their feedback reassured us that our steadfast efforts were not in vain, as few law enforcement agencies could regain accreditation in such a short span of time.

Our rigorous audit encompassed all aspects of the Sheriff’s Office – operations, administration, personnel, training, budgeting, and more. The result? High praise from the VLEPSC Assessors. On June 1st, 2023, we proudly became the 103rd VLEPSC-accredited law enforcement agency in the Commonwealth out of 340 total agencies.

Simultaneously, we also pursued the Certified Crime Prevention Community (CCPC) Program, a prestigious designation that further enhances our service to the county. Bypassing the initial peer review process by DCJS, we demonstrated our commitment to effective community policing, joining a select group of twelve agencies across Virginia with this certification. We eagerly await our panel hearing later this month.

These accomplishments demonstrate not only our competence but also our commitment to doing things right. It’s one thing to claim to be doing the right thing, but it’s entirely another to have a governing body validate this claim. This accreditation rejuvenates the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, reaffirming our commitment to uphold safety, security, professionalism, and transparency. It assures our community that we prioritize doing the right thing, even in challenging situations.

Our dedication to these principles has yielded remarkable results – an 810% increase in drug confiscations, a 70% rise in DUI/DUID arrests, a 60% increase in drug and weapons arrests, a 100% boost in community collaboration, and a 38% faster response time to calls.

We have also been mindful of our fiscal responsibility, saving our taxpayers a significant amount by securing grants that have reduced our operating costs over the past three years, easing the financial burden on our community.

My role as Sheriff is not to ensure nothing bad ever happens – that would be unrealistic. Instead, I am elected to ensure that they are handled professionally when events occur. The Department of Criminal Justice Services has verified that the Warren County Sheriff’s Office does just that, and we will continue striving to live up to that standard.

Mark Butler
Warren County Sheriff