Culpeper Police Department

At the end of October, the Culpeper Police Department underwent its on-site assessment as part of maintaining our advanced accreditation through the international Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The on-site assessment was conducted by Captain Marianne Daly, currently retired after a 37-year career with the Connecticut State Police. During the on-site assessment, Captain Daly focused on our department’s operations, policies, and practices in the areas of training, mental illness, emerging technology, and communications. She also met with members of the public to hear about their experiences and interactions with our department. We want to thank Captain Daly for her time and thoroughness throughout the assessment. In March of 2025, the CALEA Commission will interview Chief Settle and review all 4 years of assessments before making a final determination regarding our department’s advance accreditation. The on-site assessment is the culmination of a 4 year accreditation review process. The department has also undergone 3 years of web-based assessment in 15 other focus areas. CALEA accreditation must be reviewed every 4 years. Culpeper PD was first accredited in 2005. During our last accreditation in 2021, we earned our advance accreditation with meritorious achievement. Currently, only 10% of the 340 Virginian law enforcement agencies and only 5% of the approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the US are CALEA accredited. CALEA is considered the gold standard in public safety and has been accrediting law enforcement agencies since 1979. For more information about CALEA, visit https://www.calea.org/ or contact the commission by phone at 800-368-3757 or 703-352-4225. Photo (L to R): Chief C. Settle; Captain M. Daly; Support Division/Accreditation Manager S. Nicholson; Deputy Chief N. White; Town Manager C. Hively

Please join us in congratulating Records Specialist II Sharon Brown on her graduation from Lead Culpeper! Developed by the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce, the Lead Culpeper program introduces participants to leadership and the intricacies of our community and region. Leadership is a skill that can be developed through practice, study, and insight. Each class is given access and exposure to leaders in local businesses, government, and education so that participants gain a unique perspective on our community. We’re proud of Ms. Brown’s hard work towards the successful completion on this program, and the new skills and leadership she brings to our department! Photo by Kim Atkins and provided by the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce: Ms. Brown (second row, second from the right) and the Lead Culpeper 2024 Class #Culpeper #Virginia #Leadership #Growth

Please join us in congratulating Detective M. Hays on his graduation from the 113th Virginia Forensic Science Academy taught by the Virginia Department of Forensic Science (DFS)! Over the course of nine weeks, the Academy provides advance training on how to properly recognize, document, collect, and preserve physical evidence found at crime scenes. Participants build upon their training and experiences to ensure that they're able to maximize the utilization of forensic sciences during criminal investigations. Academy participants also learn about the capabilities and limitations of modern forensic laboratories. Photos courtesy Virginia Department of Forensic Science

Earlier this month, K-9 Hawk and his partner K-9 MPO M. Barone attended the American Society of Canine Trainers International (ASCTI) K9 Conference in South Carolina. ASCTI currently teaches and certifies handlers from all types of law enforcement from over 20 different countries. This week-long conference, led by ASCTI's President and Senior Master Instructor, focuses on advance training for narcotic detection, tracking operations, canine neurobiology and neuroscience, problem-solving, and trainer development. K9's and their handlers travel from across the United States to instruct and to learn during this annual conference. K-9 Hawk and K-9 MPO M. Barone also completed their annual team re-certification during the conference after demonstrating their proficiency in narcotics detection and tracking. We're proud of their hard work and dedication towards advancing their training and knowledge! #Culpeper #K9 #AlwaysLearning #Training

Last week, the Culpeper Police Department hosted Command Presence Training as they taught about Transitional Leadership. Open to members of regional agencies, this training targeted mid-level supervisors and their unique challenges caused by expectations and pressures from subordinates, peers, and senior leaders. Attendees learned about the art of leading in a multi-directional environment, fostering collaboration, building resilient teams, utilizing influence to achieve collective goals, and helping supervisors develop a personalized plan for leading from the middle. Enabling all of our supervisors to be better leaders fosters a more efficient and functional agency, which allows us to better serve the Culpeper community and citizens. #Culpeper #LeadershipTraining #BetterLeaders

On Friday, Chief Chris Settle was both a Guest of Honor and Guest Speaker at the Culpeper County Public Schools Culpeper County Marine Corps JROTC Birthday Ball. Culpeper’s JROTC program has over 120 students, and aims give students an appreciation for the responsibilities of citizenship, develop leadership skills, and a strong moral character. A few of the JROTC members are also students in Chief Settle’s Criminal Justice class and the culinary class at Culpeper Technical Education Center. Thank you to the JROTC Marine Corps for inviting us to celebrate with you! We also want to congratulate the MCJROTC Drill Team for placing 3rd out of all Marine Corps JROTC drill teams during yesterday’s drill meet at Heritage High School in Lynchburg, VA! #Culpeper #FutureLeaders #JROTC

Earlier this month, MPO Det. T. Sisk attended the 15th Annual Virginia Crimes Against Children Conference hosted by Children's Advocacy Centers of Virginia. This multi-day conference offered training from state and national experts on how to recognize, investigate, and prevent child abuse. Det. Sisk specifically attending trainings on social media investigations and the evolving investigative tactics for Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Culpeper PD is dedicated to protecting our most vulnerable community members, and providing victims the support they need. #Culpeper #VictimServices #childadvocacy #Training #CAC

Join us on Thursday, November 14th for our next Combined Neighborhood Watch meeting. You're invited to attend in person or stream the event live on our Facebook page. We will be sharing holiday scam information and safety tips. Light refreshments and door prizes will be available for those attending in person. See you Thursday night and bring a friend!

On Saturday Lt. Banks, Lt. Brittany Jenkins & MPO Julia Cole participated in the One Love volunteer event organized by His Village Church. Volunteers spent the morning cleaning up public areas & helping local elderly citizens. Lt. Banks helped clean up trash at the Sports Complex. Lt. Jenkins & MPO J. Cole picked up trash at Yowell Meadow Park, then helped remove two overgrown shrubs from an elderly resident’s yard. These small acts help make Culpeper better for everyone. #Culpeper #Volunteer #ImprovingOurHome #CommunityService

During their night shift this weekend, Ofc. Moran and Ofc. Wadas responded to a residence to assist EMS. A mother went into labor while home alone with her toddler. Ofc. Moran and Ofc. Wadas arrived first, and helped the mother get her bags together and dressed the toddler for the trip to the hospital. The next night, Ofc. Moran and Ofc. Wadas happened to run into the toddler and her father. The husband thanked the officers for helping his wife while he was at work, and reported that mom and new baby are healthy and doing well. Congratulations to this family on their newest member! #Culpeper #WelcomeBaby #AlwaysSomethingDifferent #Virginia #Police #LawEnforcement