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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>82838</law_id><section_number>15.2-1701</section_number><catch_line>Organization of police forces</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>9.1-601</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="17">Police and Public Order</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may, by <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span>, provide for the organization of its authorized police forces. Such forces shall include a chief of police, and such officers and other personnel as appropriate.
		When a <span class="dictionary">locality</span> provides for a police department, the chief of police shall be the chief <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer of that <span class="dictionary">locality</span>. However, in <span class="dictionary">towns</span>, the chief <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer may be called the <span class="dictionary">town</span> sergeant.</p></section></text><history>1979, c. 333, &#xA7; 15.1-131.7; 1997, c. 587.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
