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Virginia Sheriffs’ Association
The Voice of Virginia’s Sheriffs & Deputies

Three members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office executive team completed a new model curriculum for Executive Law Enforcement Certification at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy (NVCJA) this week. A total of ten executives from throughout the state of Virginia graduated in November 2012.

The training, approved by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), included 80-hours of instruction including in-classroom legal instruction, criminal procedures, criminal law, corrections/court security legal matters, patrol procedures and tactics, investigations defense/use of force tactics and firearms instruction.

“This is a milestone in law enforcement training,” said Loudoun County Sheriff Michael L. Chapman. “For the first time, executive law enforcement in Virginia will be able to obtain law enforcement certification after the completion of this executive-tailored training course,” Chapman added.

The development of this model training collaboration, initiated by Sheriff Chapman, was a cooperative effort between the DCJS, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Training Section and the NVCJA.

William C. O’Toole, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy, described the DCJS approved curriculum as “an innovative training module expanding law enforcement certification for executive law enforcement.” The concept for this executive level training was proposed to DCJS after Sheriff Chapman was elected to office last year.

The newly certified members from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office executive team include Sheriff Michael L. Chapman, Major Richard Fiano and Major John Fraga.

Sheriff Chapman was elected as Loudoun County Sheriff in November 2011. Prior to being elected Sheriff Chapman served the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a Special Agent for 23 years and as a senior manager in the latter part of this career.

Major Fiano leads the Criminal Investigations Division. Major Fiano is a 35-year-veteran of law enforcement. Fiano served as a senior executive with the DEA.

Major Fraga leads the Operational Support Division. Major Fraga retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation after 24 years of service as a Special Agent. Major Fraga also served as a senior executive.

The first-ever graduating class also included Chief Daniel A. Dusseau of the Northern Virginia Community College Police Department, Chief Stephen P. Monticelli of the City of Harrisonburg Police Department, Major Mark Sykes, Assistant Chief of Police Division of Capitol Police, Commonwealth of Virginia, Chief Rhonda L. Harris, Chief of Police / Director of Public Safety Old Dominion University, Sheriff Timothy J. Duff of the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, Michael F. A. Morehart, Inspector General, Commonwealth of Virginia, and Chief Howard B. Hall of the Roanoke County Police Department.

The training was held at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy, a nationally accredited law enforcement training academy, in Ashburn, Virginia.