Westmoreland County’s Sheriff’s Office appears to be well aware that complacency can render an achievement moot. Since achieving accredited status with the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) in May of 2006, the Sheriff’s Office has been working to maintain that status. At last week’s County Board of Supervisors meeting, it was announced, to the applause of many present, that the WCSO had once again continued its yearly streak of accredited status.

The program manager for the VLEPSC, Todd Clingenpeel, was present to present an award to Sheriff C.O. Balderson.

On April 27, the VLEPSC sent three assessors to the Sheriff’s Office to conduct a thorough review—looking over everything including training, operations, administration, and personnel. They even conducted ride-alongs and interviews with community members.

“When you think about law enforcement in this day and age, there’s a lot of agencies that don’t like people coming into their agency and asking a pile of questions or reviewing everything,” stated Clingenpeel. “It says a lot about the WCSO’s transparency that they want someone looking over it all to make sure they’re doing it right.”

Clingenpeel reminded the Supervisors and the audience just how difficult it is to achieve accredited status, let alone maintain it like the Sheriff’s Office has.

“We have one hundred ninety-three standards that have to be maintained, and over five hundred seventy bullet points in those standards. There’s currently only a hundred and thirteen agencies in the Commonwealth of Virginia that are accredited out of the over four hundred that are eligible.

“To be accredited means a lot, and when our team met Captain Josh Jones, he welcomed them and opened the doors along with the Sheriff and their staff. The team spoke so highly of the professionalism and how everything was in order. It was handled quickly and professionally.”

A ride-along with Sergeant Mulvena produced similar results, the team stating the Sergeant was “dedicated to her community and the Sheriff’s Office, displaying the highest level of professionalism out of all the ride-alongs they have taken part in across the Commonwealth.”

This was just one facet of the assessment. The assessment team was actively looking for something—anything—that would be out of place and could not find a thing. Their visit, which included a review of evidence-handling policies, ended with what Clingenpeel called “zero returns,” meaning they could not find anything out of place at all.

“If you went through a project in school and got zero demerits, you’d probably be proud,” commented Clingenpeel. “This community needs to be really proud. It’s not just about the Sheriff’s Office, but the community around them too. A lot of people spoke about how the community and the Sheriff’s Office work hand-in-hand, and that means a lot.” Clingenpeel then laid out the words that people throughout the County had used to describe the WCSO: “courteous, professional, effective, efficient, strong leadership, strong customer service, service-oriented staff, and a model agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

“That’s something everyone here should be proud of,” Clingenpeel commented.

Chief Scott Vantrease of the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) Police spoke about the nature of the accreditation process.

“Everyone looks at what you do. The County should be incredibly proud of the work that your sheriff and his command staff do. The transparency, the support, the fact that there should be no question that they are holding themselves to the highest standards possible,” stated Vantrease. “Those of us that go through it on a regular basis know that it gets harder. The first couple of cycles have you going through the easy stuff, and by this time, the easy stuff is gone.

“There is no doubt in my mind whenever we have to work with the WCSO that the interaction will be professional and we will be able to support each other incredibly well.”

After these remarks and the presentation of an award for the accredited status, Sheriff Balderson gave a few remarks and immediately gave as much credit as possible for the success of his office to the people he works with.

“As Sheriff, I’m here to accept it, but I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for each and every member of the Sheriff’s Office, from the oldest of the old to the youngest.

“I’ve been on this commission for almost fifteen years now, and I’ve seen it go through the ups and downs. The process works, and I’m proud to be part of it, but it is not easy, and it shouldn’t be. I tell people all the time that getting it is easy, but maintaining and keeping it is another. It cannot be rubber-stamped—it must be earned, because if you don’t earn it, then there’s not much reason to be a part of it.

“I’m proud of everyone from the Sheriff’s Office. I cannot take my hat off enough to everyone else involved too—both to the Board and the community, because without your support, we could not do this. You’ve been there for me, and we’ll always be here for you. Thank you all so very much. I’m very honored, and I cannot say enough about your Sheriff’s Office.”

The Supervisors then took the opportunity to give their remarks.

“I’ve known the sheriff a long time. He’s a good man and he’s done a good job,” stated Supervisor Woody Hynson. “When we had to talk about something, we would and we’d understand each other, and that’s all anyone can ask for these days.”

“Given the current atmosphere around law enforcement, I’m incredibly proud of all of you down through the ranks,” added Vice Chairman Jeff McCormack. “We often say we have the best Sheriff’s Department in the Commonwealth, though I admit I’m biased. Your professionalism and courage to get up and do what you do every single day is awesome to watch, and I appreciate everything you all do.”

“Congratulations to you. You’ve been around a long time and watched the Department grow over the years,” chimed in Darryl Fisher. “I had the opportunity to work and serve with your predecessor, Sheriff Jackson, and watch the department improve more and more and keep striving for excellence. I’ve heard this spiel before, and I know it’s no easy feat to maintain the level of excellence that your Department has.

“This is not the same group of personnel and employees you started with. That speaks volumes about the leadership that continues to be passed on, and the standard being maintained, and the mindset to be the best you can be. The best evidence of that is being able to repeat all of this. Repetition is never easy, and that you can maintain that level of excellence speaks volumes of you and those in your department. You’ve developed a culture among your department where everyone seeks to strive for excellence, and when you can develop that culture, you’ll get positive results, so kudos to you and the entire department.

“I may be a bit biased like the Vice Chairman, but I think Mr. McCormack’s opinion is correct—that the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department does an outstanding job and that we’re one of the safest communities in the Commonwealth.

“Thank you for inviting me down there to see what goes on, it was an honor to be there and watch it,” added Chairman Tim Trivett. “This status is something very special to hold onto, and I interact frequently with your deputies. You all do an outstanding job. Any opportunity we get to recognize you is a huge pleasure. Thank you for your service, as always. We look forward to many more years of this accreditation.”

The last remarks came from County Attorney Richard Stuart, who was the target of a scam in a case the Sheriff’s Office recently cracked.

“I’ve worked with this Sheriff’s Office for many years professionally, but this was probably one of the first times I’ve worked with them as a victim. Their performance absolutely astounded me, and I’ve worked with law enforcement across the board, from the FBI right on through, and the performance of this Sheriff’s Office astounded me with what they got done.”