The Virginia Marine Police is the

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term en ...

division of the

Virginia Marine Resources Commission The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is a state agency charged with overseeing Virginia's marine and aquatic resources, and its tidal waters and homelands. One of the primary functions of the Commission is to zone water areas for outdoor swi ...

, an agency of the Commonwealth of

Virginia, United States Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

Mission

The primary functions of the Virginia Marine Police, as the front-line defenders of Virginia's tidal natural resources, remain consistent with its establishment as Virginia's Oyster Navy in 1864. The uniform patrol section's main duties include enforcement of commercial and saltwater recreational fisheries, boating safety enforcement, boat accident investigation, search and rescue, and counter-terrorism patrols and protection of Virginia's high-value maritime assets. In addition to state fisheries laws and regulations, many Marine Police Officers are deputized Federal Officers through the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

National Marine Fisheries Service The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), informally known as NOAA Fisheries, is a United States federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is responsible for the stew ...

and can enforce NMFS and

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...

laws. In coordination with the National Shellfish Sanitation Program and the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Shellfish Sanitation, Officers are responsible for regular patrols of condemned shellfish areas to ensure harvest restrictions are adhered to.

Organization

Administration

The administrative section of the Virginia Marine Police is located at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission headquarters in historic

Fort Monroe Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virgi ...

, Virginia. The Division is currently headed by Colonel Matthew Rogers, whose appointment to the position was announced in May 2020. The Colonel is assisted by a Lieutenant Colonel, a Training Lieutenant, and an Operations Lieutenant.

Uniform Patrol

The uniform patrol section comprises a majority of the Marine Police division. The section is split into four geographic work areas, each headed by a Captain and two First Sergeants, who oversee the day-to-day operations of the patrol officers. Regular patrols are done by air, land, and sea. The agency operates a single engine fixed-wing aircraft, and many marked and unmarked vessels and vehicles.

Northern Area

This area's responsibility includes the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...

, the upper portion of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

, and tributaries of these bodies of water. Its office is located in Wicomico Church, Virginia. Geographically, the Northern Area covers the

Northern Neck The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula ...

of Virginia and

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

Middle Area

This area's responsibility includes the Rappahannock River, the middle portion of the Chesapeake Bay, Mobjack Bay, the York River, the Poquoson River, and tributaries of these bodies of water. Its office is located in

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

, Virginia. Geographically, the Middle Area covers the

Middle Peninsula The Middle Peninsula is the second of three large peninsulas on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the Middle Peninsula was home to 92,886 people. It lies between the Northern Neck and ...

of Virginia, and portions of the

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

area.

Southern Area

This area's responsibility includes the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

, Elizabeth River,

Nansemond River The Nansemond River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the James River in Virginia in the United States. Virginian colonists named the river ...

, their tributaries, and others in the area. Its office is located at the Marine Police Division's Operations Station in

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

, Virginia, overlooking the James River.

Eastern Shore

This area's responsibility includes both the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean side of Virginia's Eastern Shore. Its office is located in Belle Haven, Virginia.

Special Investigations Unit

The Special Investigations Unit operates state-wide and handles a number of high-priority investigations, often working closely with federal partners.

Operations

"Operations" as it is known, encompasses several sub-sections, which include a Maintenance section and Communications section. These sections are based at the Division's Operations Station in Newport News, Virginia.

Maintenance

The maintenance section is responsible for the day-to-day repair, maintenance, and rigging of vessels. The agency currently has over 100 vessels in service.

Communications

The communications section are the primary dispatchers for the Uniform Patrol officers in the field. The communications section coordinates responses with other state, local, and federal agencies.

Origins and History

1864

Following the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

it was a time of exploitation and open conflict between

watermen A waterman is a river worker who transfers passengers across and along city centre rivers and estuaries in the United Kingdom and its colonies. Most notable are those on the River Thames and River Medway in England, but other rivers such as the ...

over the boundaries and rights to oyster beds. This prompted the establishment of the Virginia Oyster Navy (and Maryland Oyster Navy) whose job it was to enforce order, boundaries, and prevent poaching. At that time the Oyster Navy operated two Oyster Schooners, the Tangier and the Pocomoke.

1897

In 1897, the Virginia Oyster Navy and the Board of the Chesapeake were transferred to the Virginia Fisheries Commission, which was established in 1875. At this time, the Oyster Navy operated two steamers, the Chesapeake and the Accomac, in addition to the two schooners.

1917

With

The Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

underway, the entire marine patrol of the Virginia Fisheries Commission was placed in the

United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sele ...

and provided harbor patrol and security in Virginia's waters. The Virginia Marine Police are still responsible for providing security and patrols of high-value assets in the Commonwealth.

1920

A system of State-employed district Oyster Inspectors was established in 1920. Prior to that time, a network of county oyster inspectors and county surveyors administered oyster bed leasing in the localities. The inspectors were compensated by retaining a portion of fines and other fees collected. Their oyster inspection work was generally a sideline to other jobs held in the communities. When the State Fisheries Commission assumed full control of oyster administration in 1920, nineteen oyster districts were established. One full-time inspector was employed for each district at $60.00 per month.

1960s to 1980s

Throughout the mid-twentieth century, additional roles and responsibilities were given to the Virginia Fisheries Commission. In 1968, by an act of the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...

, the Fish Commission was renamed the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to better reflect its growing mission. In the mid to late 1980's the "Inspectors" role changed as the agency transitioned to the Marine Patrol, where its members became sworn law enforcement officers with police powers. The primary responsibility is the enforcement of state commercial and recreational fishery regulations as well as federal wildlife laws of the

and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Virginia Marine Police are also authorized to perform other law enforcement duties including investigation of criminal activities and boating accidents. The agency provides resources for

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

operations.

References

External links

Official Website for the Virginia Marine PoliceVirginia Marine Police Career Brochure
{{authority control State law enforcement agencies of Virginia Specialist police departments of Virginia 1875 establishments in Virginia Maritime law enforcement agencies of the United States