The Caroline County Sheriff’s Office has had one of its most productive periods since the administration of Sheriff Lippa took over in January of 2004. Since the last issue of Virginia Sheriff went to press, a host of new and exciting changes have occurred in the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office.
Effective July 1, the Department of Animal Control was absorbed into the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office. The 3 sworn and 2 support staff members employed by animal control were all appointed by Sheriff Lippa effective July 1. New uniforms were ordered and new graphics were placed on the animal control vehicles. Sergeant Ken Harris, who was the animal control director, retains direct supervision over animal control. This change allows for better and more effective coverage for animal control incidents to the citizens of Caroline County.
We participated in our 5th National Night Out celebration in August. A large number of residents joined members of the sheriff’s office along with local fire and rescue members to celebrate, eat, play games and join in fellowship. The number of citizens who participate in National Night Out continues to grow each year.
Several members of the sheriff’s office participated in the county fair by being dunked in the dunking booth. This was all done to raise money and awareness for DARE (drug abuse resistance education). Major Moser, Lieutenant Beazley, Deputies Honeycutt, Connolly, Hall and even Sheriff Lippa obliged themselves to being ‘dunked’.
The Caroline County Sheriff’s Office was an active participant in Checkpoint Strike Force, an anti-drunk and drugged driving campaign in late August. We held checkpoints and made arrests on a number of charges. Before the campaign began, our office made a unique ad that we placed around the county. A copy of the picture for the ad appears elsewhere in this issue.
After years of hard work and dedication, the accreditation assessment was completed in late August. The official nod came in late October, and our post-assessment debrief was very positive. The Caroline County Sheriff’s Office received accreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission. For those agencies who have been a part of this process, you are all aware of the amount of work involved. Two employees worked almost full time on the process for nearly 9 months. All the hard work paid off when the assessment team visited. From the feedback and comments made by the team, accreditation manager Major Scott Moser has reason to be proud. He and his team, led by Sergeant Lambert and Deputy DiGravio-Ferguson, helped bring this accomplishment to our office in just over 4 years.
All patrol cars now have in-car laptop computers mounted in them to assist the deputies in their work. The Caroline Sheriff’s Office is fast moving towards a more paper-free environment for its workforce. Deputies can now wirelessly print their reports and access their county email. Additionally, one of our satellite offices is now equipped with wireless access to permit deputies to email their reports or print them as needed. Technology is a wonderful thing!
Until next quarter, best wishes to all from Caroline County!
