The Virginia State Police is more than just a job, it is a career. The life of a Virginia State Trooper requires dedication, sacrifice, and commitment. Our continued success will depend on maintaining and hiring an educated, diverse, dedicated workforce. We are an equal opportunity employer and we are particularly interested in hiring qualified women and minority applicants.
Law enforcement is not an easy career choice. It takes a special person to become a Virginia State Trooper - someone who, at any given moment, may be called upon to arrest the most atrocious criminal, console and calm a crying child, investigate complex criminal activities, issue summonses to irate motorists, encourage kids not to use drugs, and carry out a myriad of other duties and responsibilities.
Applicants must live in a state east of the Mississippi. Military applicants must live in or home of record must be in one of the states east of the Mississippi.
If selected, are you prepared to:
- Live at the academy for 30 weeks and have limited contact with family and friends?
- Operate within a strict, disciplined, paramilitary system?
- Participate in a rigorous physical and mental training program which includes college academic courses requiring hundreds of classroom and study hours and numerous written exams?
- Abide by all personal appearance guidelines including the Department's tattoo and body modification policies?
Are you willing to:
- Work in any area of the state? Work outside in inclement weather conditions?
- Work weekends, holidays, and shift work?
- Confront and arrest persons who may be larger and stronger than you who are armed with a deadly weapon?
- Be the target of abusive and profane language from citizens yet respond in a professional manner?
- Take the life of a person in self-defense or defense of another person?
- Investigate violent or brutal crimes and effectively interact with the victim?
- Investigate fatal traffic accidents; provide medical attention to persons who have been severely injured; deal with emotional witnesses; deliver death notices to a next of kin; attend autopsies?
- Complete large numbers of reports, forms and other types of paperwork?
- Place yourself at risk to assist others and perform dangerous tasks in unsafe environments?
If you have any questions after completing this assessment, please contact our Recruitment Section at 1-866-VSP-2DAY.
