On Sunday, February 2nd, there was a special African American History Month service at Saint John Baptist Church in Stoney Creek, VA. The church honored Sheriff Vanessa R. Crawford of the City of Petersburg as a local Black History pioneer in law enforcement. She was introduced by her grandchildren, Cornell III, Christian, and Chloe Prince. Members of the Petersburg Sheriff’s Office and other family and friends were also present to celebrate with the Sheriff.
Leading a male dominant field as a Superintendent with the Virginia Department of Corrections for over 25 years, Sheriff Crawford was first elected Sheriff for the City of Petersburg in 2005, making her the first female sheriff elected in Petersburg. During her near 20-year tenure with the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Crawford has paved the way for future African American law enforcement professionals to achieve excellence in law enforcement. Recently, in 2023 she was elected President of the Virginia Association of Local Elected Constitutional Officers which consisted of all elected Sheriffs, Commonwealth Attorneys, Commissioners of the Revenue, Clerks of the Circuit Courts, and Treasurers. In the same year, she was elected President of the Small & Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association (SRLEEA). In 2022, Sheriff Crawford made history, once again, as being chosen as the National Sheriff of the Year by the National Sheriff’s Association, being the first living African American and only female to date to receive this prestigious honor.
