United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police
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United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police
Common name Veterans Affairs Police

Agency Overview
Formed 1973
Preceding agency VA Protective Service (1930)
Employees 2,800+
Legal personality Governmental agency
Jurisdictional Structure
Federal agency
(Operations jurisdiction) United States
Legal jurisdiction Veterans Affairs medical facilities
General nature Civilian police
Federal law enforcement

Specialist jurisdiction
Operational Structure
Headquarters Washington, DC
Agency executive Kevin F. Doyle, Acting Director
Parent agency United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Website
Police Service - Security & Law Enforcement

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police is the uniformed police service of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for the protection of the VA hospitals and other facilities operated by United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Health Administration.

The VA Police is a law enforcement agency with full authority to enforce laws and rules and regulations and make arrests on VA property. VA Police officers make arrests and transport offenders to and from county jails and federal courthouses under the direction of the United States Marshal Service. VA Police operate throughout the United States under the direction of individual facility directors. The VA Police occasionally provide Executive Protection services for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and comprise over 2800 appointed personnel.


History
The Veterans Administration was founded in 1930. The VA Protective Service was established that year and was charged with maintaining order, protecting persons and property, and ensuring fire safety. As the VA evolved, the fire safety role was turned over to the Engineering Service and the Protective Service became a security guard force (OPM GS 0085 series).

By a 1973 federal law, the guard force was abolished and the VA Police (0083 series) was established. The President and Congress made this decission due in part to the changing needs of the VA and an increase in police-related matters not ususally handled by a guard force or community law enforcement agencies.