Category: News Release

Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Matthew D. Hanley as the Superintendent of the Virginia State Police (VSP). After a nationwide search to find a replacement for former Superintendent Gary T. Settle, Colonel Hanley was selected to lead VSP based on his unmatched experience and expertise.

From January 31 to February 7, 2025, the Virginia State Police, in partnership with supporting federal and local agencies, achieved significant criminal interdictions. Their ongoing efforts led to the recovery of firearms, the seizure of narcotics, and the investigation of multiple crimes, including human trafficking, throughout the Commonwealth. 

With the changeover in the calendar year from 2024 to 2025, vehicles in Virginia that have passed safety inspections are now receiving a new safety inspection sticker. The sticker, which is utilizing the color green for the first time, includes multiple changes from previous iterations.

Preliminary data indicates that seven people died on Virginia’s roadways over the 2024 Thanksgiving holiday.  The number is a decrease from 2023, when 11 people were killed, and a large decrease from 2022, when 19 people died in fatal crashes.* 

Virginia State Police will now be issuing “CODI” or “Critical Operation for a Disappeared Child Initiative” alerts to aid in the searches of missing or endangered children. The alert was approved by the 2024 General Assembly and will be issued upon request by the investigating law enforcement agency.

As part of an ongoing effort to increase the number of prospective Virginia State Troopers in the Academy, and out on Virginia’s roads, Virginia State Police has unveiled a new recruitment website and new dedicated recruitment social media.

The final summer holiday ended on a somber note, as preliminary data shows that law enforcement investigated ten fatalities over the Labor Day Holiday.  There were two double fatal crashes, the first of which occurred Sept. 1, 2024, in Northampton County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.   The second double fatal occurred Sept. 2, 2024, in Henry County. 

With the last major travel weekend of the summer approaching, Virginia State Police is stressing good and safe driving behaviors to ensure everyone gets to their destinations.  Virginia had a deadly start to the summer driving season, with state police alone investigating 25 deaths in the week following Memorial Day. 

On Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, the Commonwealth will graduate its 141st generation of Virginia State Troopers. The 21 new troopers will be presented their diplomas during commencement exercises at 10 a.m. at the State Police Training Academy located at 7700 Midlothian Turnpike in North Chesterfield County. The Honorable Winsome Earle-Sears, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, will speak at the graduation ceremony.

Forty years after his brutal murder, Virginia State Police and other law enforcement continue to pursue leads in the death of Trooper Johnny Rush Bowman.  Recently, investigators have had items re-examined for possible DNA evidence, as analytical technology has improved over the years.  Federal, state and local law enforcement are hopeful that these advancements in forensic technology can shed new light on the unsolved murder of Trooper Bowman.  Investigators are also re-examining old leads for any possible new information.