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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>68964</law_id><section_number>15.2-632</section_number><catch_line>Department of public safety</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>9.1-101</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="I">General Provisions; Charters; Other Forms and Organization of Counties</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">County Manager Form of Government</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Departments; County Manager Form</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The department of public safety if and when established shall be under the supervision of a director of public safety appointed by the <span class="dictionary">county</span> manager. Such department shall consist of the following divisions:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Division of police, in charge of a chief of police and consisting of such other police officers and personnel as may be appointed, including an animal protection police officer who shall have all of the powers of an animal control officer conferred by general <span class="dictionary">law</span> and one or more deputy animal protection police officers to assist the animal protection police officer in the performance of his duties. In addition, the animal protection police officer and his deputies shall have all of the powers vested in <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions" href="/9.1-101/">9.1-101</a>, provided they have met the minimum qualifications and have been certified under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Minimum qualifications; waiver" href="/15.2-1705/">15.2-1705</a> and <a class="law" title="Certification through training required for all law-enforcement officers; waiver of requirements" href="/15.2-1706/">15.2-1706</a>. <a id="paragraph-249652" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-632/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Division of fire protection, in charge of a fire chief and consisting of such fire fighters, and other personnel as may be appointed. <a id="paragraph-249653" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/15.2-632/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 15-328.1; 1956, c. 277; 1962, c. 623, &#xA7; 15.1-649; 1977, c. 326; 1997, c. 587; 2010, c. 621.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
