Sheriff Dana Lawhorne

A Message from the Sheriff

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

Upon taking office in January, 2006, we had a small single group of low risk inmates known as the Inmate Work Detail (IWD) whose primary responsibility was to maintain our grounds here at the Public Safety Center and conduct custodial duties in the building. I felt their potential was greatly under utilized.  Seeing an opportunity for these individuals to give back to their communities, I have significantly enhanced their responsibilities throughout the City.  Some examples of these expanded duties include trash pick up from public right-of-ways, landscaping and clean up at City schools (when school is not in session), painting light poles in Old Town, providing lawn care at City fire stations, trash pick up at City libraries, and cleaning up City parks such as Fort Ward and Chinquapin.  The IWD also provides assistance to other City agencies by stripping the logos off of retired City vehicles, setting up and removing barricades for parades and festivals, and moving furniture.  The IWD has been there for our citizens in even bigger ways, most notably the filling of thousands of sandbags to prevent flooding.

It became apparent that the demand for the services of this single IWD exceeded our ability to address them.  In response to this demand, I created a second IWD in 2007 and assigned a Deputy to supervise their activities.  We essentially doubled our efforts.  I am pleased to report that in Calendar Year 2008, our two IWD’s worked 9,860.5 hours, resulting in a savings of $197,210.  The demand for their services, however, continued to grow.

During the FY 2010 budget deliberations, City Council implemented a number of cost-saving measures to address a budget shortfall, while still continuing to maintain services to our citizens.  One of the measures taken by Council was a reduction, primarily through attrition, in the City’s work force. This action prompted a subsequent request to my Office to provide expanded assistance in the maintenance of various public areas which included some City parks.  The Council agreed to fund a Deputy to supervise a third IWD, with the understanding they would spend Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays maintaining the City’s 81 mini parks.  According to the City’s Recreation Department, this newly-created IWD will save the City about $7,000 per month that was previously spent on a private mowing contract.  Recreation staff also noted that our IWD keeps a higher standard of maintenance in place at each location. They will be reassigned to other duties throughout the City during those months when mowing is not needed. We should all feel good about this creative response to our budget challenges.

Our three IWD’s generally consist of about four inmates under the direct supervision of a uniformed Deputy Sheriff.  The inmates are carefully screened prior to being placed in the program.  They must be within 18 months of release, with no previous escape or attempted escapes and not be serving a sentence for a violent or sex related crime.  The inmates also must not have a recent criminal history involving a violent crime or sex related charge.  This program has been in existence for many years without one significant incident.

During the summer months, many of you will undoubtedly see members of our IWD in City parks mowing grass or engaging in related maintenance activities.  They travel in vans clearly marked as Sheriff’s Office vehicles and signs are posted at worksites alerting citizens to their presence.  I can assure you that the appropriate safety precautions are in place to ensure your safety.  Each inmate is trained in the proper use of the power equipment and closely supervised by one of our Deputies. 

I want to thank you for your continued support and wish you all a safe and relaxing summer.

With Warmest Regards,

The Alexandria Sheriff's Office  is responsible for the operation of the Detention Center, courthouse and courtroom security,service of all court legal documents, execution of court orders, transportation of prisoners, execution of arrest warrants, and general public safety and law enforcement. All powers, responsibilities and duties of the Alexandria Sheriff's Office derive from common law, the Virginia Constitution, the Code of Virginia and the Alexandria Charter.

The Alexandria Sheriff's Office is a highly professional organization with 216 Deputy Sheriffs and civilian personnel. The Office is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Commission on Accreditation for Corrections, and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. The Office has been honored by the National Sheriff's Association with the prestigious "Triple Crown Award" for achieving these national accreditations. The Office is also Virginia state certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Department of Corrections.  

To learn more about the Office, please see our the FY 2008 Annual Report and our Newsletter.