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Jeffrey Martin
About the Department
of Veterans Affairs Police Service The Veterans Affairs, “Director for Security and Law Enforcement
is responsible for ensuring that VA has an effective program in place for the protection of the veterans, staff and visitors
who use our Medical Centers. The primary official in the Office of Security and Law Enforcement to meet that responsibility
is the Director, Police Service.
Through an active program of policy
reviews and development, along with researching and applying the most modern of police techniques, the Director works to ensure
that VA Medical Centers have highly effective VA Police programs. Each Inspector has responsibility for certain regions of
the country and provides direct technical support to the VA Police Chiefs and facility management within those regions. The
Inspectors are in regular contact with their respective VA Police Chiefs, responding as needed to trouble spots.”
The main functions of the VA Police
are: Police Program Inspections; Criminal Investigations; Executive Protection; and, VA site security and enforcement.
According to the Department of Veterans
Affairs, “In order to ensure the effectiveness of the security and law enforcement programs of VA Medical Centers, the
Police Service provides a comprehensive program of on-site inspections. Field Inspectors from the Office of Security and Law
Enforcement conduct a careful review of the security and law enforcement posture of each facility at least once every two
years. The Inspectors spend several days at each site and review all of the elements of the security and law enforcement program
in a detailed manner. After the visit, the inspector prepares a comprehensive report of findings, which is provided to the
facility management through the VHA Network Office for action.
The Office of Security and Law Enforcement
conducts internal affairs and criminal investigations. The OS&LE staff are empowered by statute to exercise Federal arrest
authority for offenses occurring on Department owned property. The Inspectors of the OS&LE also provide oversight and
support to criminal investigations conducted by VA Police units at the 170 VA Medical Centers in support of the organizational
mission.
The Secretary and Deputy Secretary
of Veterans Affairs receive appropriate levels of executive protection. These protective services are provided by the staff
of the Office of Security and Law Enforcement and managed by the Director, Police Service.”
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