Petersburg Bureau Of Police

On December 18, 1809, Petersburg's mayor and Common Council asked the Virginia General Assembly for an act allowing the city to appoint a master of police, give him authority to carry out local ordinances and levy a tax to pay for his service. Two centuries and more later, that office has become the Petersburg Bureau of Police, which wants to set a high bar among police agencies by reaching out to the community, earning its trust and easing worries about crime for residents, businesses and visitors in this independent city. In 2020 the bureau earned accreditation from VLEPSC, the commission that sets professional standards for Virginia police agencies, and it credits teamwork across all divisions for the result. The bureau's pages connect the public with animal control, records and report requests, property and evidence pickup, online tip submission and a complaint process, and Freedom of Information Act requests are handled under Va. Code § 2.2-3704. A seasonal community newsletter and a staff directory are posted as well, along with an overview of the organizational structure.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2023), Petersburg city, VA has an estimated population of 33,365.