Nelson County Sheriff David Hill was one of 25 people in the inaugural class to receive certification from the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute, a Richmond-based nonprofit that encourages charitable and educational activities among sheriffs and deputies in Virginia, according to a news release from the institute.
Hill said he documented his years of experience, education, training and professional development, among other items, for the last four years to receive VSI certification. In four years, he plans to re-apply for recertification so he will continue to document the required activities to be certified. He said deputies in the county are planning to apply in the future, as well.
To be certified, participants were required to complete trainings in leadership, ethics, cultural diversity, community policing and legal/employment law, according to the program’s guidebook on VSI’s website.
The certification program was developed by a partnership between VSI, the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, the Performance Management Group at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at the Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation, according to the release. Hill and others were recognized for completing certification at the VSI’s spring conference held on April 25 through April 27. Hill was among 12 sheriffs in Virginia who received certification this year.