Virginia State Police enhancements strengthen homeland security in the Commonwealth

Virginia State Police enhancements strengthen homeland security in the CommonwealthRICHMOND – A safe and secure homeland requires state, local, tribal and federal partners to have the capability and capacity to access, collect, analyze, and disseminate threat information to operators and decision makers across all levels of government.  Since 2005, the Virginia Fusion Center (VFC), housed in and coordinated by the Virginia State Police, has been at the center of achieving this objective.  The VFC eliminates intelligence gaps by ingesting information related to criminal and suspicious activity reporting from all available resources, analyzing that information, and sharing it with the appropriate stakeholders.  This provides citizens, business owners, and government officials with information critical to preventing and combatting crime and protecting the safety of those living in and traveling through the Commonwealth.
As criminals evolve and the reach of bad actors expands, the threat landscape changes.  The public safety sector must progressively advance to remain effective.  Virginia State Police is doing just that with the creation of the Homeland Security Division (HSD).  This division will take the lead role in securing Virginians and supporting the mission of national security, supported by the Office of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. It will comprehensively inform and support the newly established Homeland Security Advisory Council chaired by the Homeland Security Advisor, Secretary Terrance C. Cole. “The creation of a Homeland Security Division within the Virginia State Police reinforces Governor Youngkin’s commitment to public safety and securing the Commonwealth from threats from within and abroad,” said Secretary Cole.
The HSD, comprised of both Collection and Analytical Sections, will take criminal intelligence and information regarding domestic and international bad actors to the next level.  The VFC will be part of the Analytical Section of the HSD and has increased its staffing to enhance evolving capabilities in the 24/7 Watch Center.  The Watch Center handles requests for information, suspicious activity reporting, and tip and hotline intake. Additional analytical personnel have been hired to address the increasing and complex nature of domestic and international threats, human and narcotics trafficking, cyber threats, criminal gangs, and gun-related violent crime.  The Collection Section will enhance the protection of critical infrastructure, proactively intervene and prevent targeted violence with the Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management team and provide outreach to inform and support private and public sector partners.
Virginia State Police’s HSD comes into existence with established relationships reaching from small, local community organizations to international partners.  Workgroups with state agencies like the Virginia Departments of Corrections, and Emergency Management, as well as the Virginia National Guard will continue to enhance security in the Commonwealth.  Existing partnerships with federal agencies like FBI-JTTF, CBP, HSI, CISA, DEA, FEMA, and ATF will continue providing a mechanism for the exchange of threat information on a national and international scale.  Direct international contacts in over ten countries will allow for continued global intelligence exchange.  These relationships represent an expansive accessibility to threat and criminal information that can then be analyzed and translated into actionable intelligence.  The HSD’s prioritization of identifying new partners and building out new capabilities to address the everchanging threat landscape will allow Virginians to have confidence in the public safety and homeland security of the Commonwealth, in which they live, work and raise families. Interim Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew D. Hanley stated, “The Virginia State Police has always been a leader in securing the Commonwealth of Virginia.  However, the rapidly evolving threats from foreign and domestic actors requires new strategies, advanced technologies, and dedicated resources. The establishment of the Homeland Security Division is another step to bolster our comprehensive program that ensures security and resiliency across the Commonwealth.”