Richmond Metropolitan Authority - Special Police

[KF4ZTO]

I've seen a few of these cars around, they have all red lightbars, I saw someone get pulled over by one on I-195 (downtown expressway) the other day. Does anyone know their unit numbers for the Richmond mega-TRS. I've got the Lombardy St. toll plaza freq (156.075) programmed in but the only things I hear on there seems to be road maintainance-related.

any ideas?

 

[rvawatch]

i thought in va you only have to pull over for blue lights. hell if im going to pull over for someone with red.. ill let em pass me but thats it.

you sure they were pulled over, or could they have been disabled?

 

[KF4ZTO]

Its possible they were disabled, actually. But the cars do say "Special Police" on the sides.

 

[rvawatch]

hmm.. the only thing i can think of is maybe they are a volunteer-type police or just a "police" without arrest powers?

my thinking behind that is this: Chesterfield County Auxiliary Police (volunteer) used to be called Chesterfield County Special Police- they both however have full sworn arrest power...but also drive normal cop cars with blue lights. I've seen some cars in Hopewell that say Hopewell Volunteer Police, but they have yellow lights on top- probably indicating no arrest powers.

The special police thing may indicate volunteer or auxiliary or just non-arresting. other than that...I have no idea

 

[W4BOZ]

The first time I saw one of those cars was at the corner of Canal and Belvidere right passed the little toll booth across the street from whichever fire station is right there. It seemed as if the officer had pulled someone over judging by where the person was stopped and they didn't seem to be in distress/disabled.

That doesn't really tell you anything, but it seemed out of the ordinary for me and I've wondered what their function is ever since...

 

[KF4ZTO]

Next time I see one I'll have to get a better look at it, and the antennas on it.

 

[MOTORHEAD3902]

Back when I worked in Richmond, I remember seeing the RMA police. IIRC, their "special police" title just conveyed that their jurisdiction was limited to RMA-owned property, i.e.-The Downtown Expressway, RMA-owned parking decks and the rights of way adjacent thereunto. Kind of like the Richmond Housing Authority Police, whose jurisdiction is property owned by the Housing Authority.
These officers can and do issue summonses, have arrest powers, and carry weapons and such. Technically speaking, I think they are considered conservators of the peace, Code of Va-wise. I think... Just like railroad police. Police officers covering technically private property, at the risk of terrible oversimplification.

As far as their cars having red lights only, I wouldn't go running from them just cos their lights arent blue, you might not like the criminal charge...they are sworn police officers, nonetheless. The lights are red because of the "conservators of the peace" thing, I believe.

Or was this just a dream?
The B A

 

[topcop1833]

i travel that road every day, and I had noticed that they just recently switched to red lights. they've been blue for as long as i can remember, and switched to red about maybe 2 months ago. just info fwiw.

 

[KF4ZTO]

Interesting. Yeah, I've heard RRHA PD units on RPD talkgroups before but never RMA units on the system. Their VHF repeater isn't very active either. Richmond has all sorts of police cars driving around it seems, Richmond Police, RRHA Police, VCU Police, State Capitol PD and RMA cars.

 

[WA4MJF]

From an ole soreback, up in the Commonwealth, conservators of the peace are authorized to use the word Police on badges, uniforms, equipment, etc. They have to be sponsored by the county sheriif
or CoP of independent cities. I think the Circuit Court Judge gives their commissions. Down here in NC, we all call'um company police and they are appointed by the Attorney General, but basicly same-same.

 

[resqpig]

Ok...I hope I don't repeat what has been already printed. Most everyone is right on track. The reason the change from blue to red recently is the law changed concerning conservators of the peace. I have been a conservator in Roanoke until a few months ago since about 1990. Some colleges still have conservators and Motorhead was correct, conservators are used to enforce the law on private property. Examples in Roanoke are Carilion Clinic (large hospitals and multiple other buildings), the Western VA Water Authority and Roanoke College. The rules used to have no regulation on the training a conservator had to have and northern VA was abusing this by swearing in non-trained (or at least minimally trained) people in the public schools. As long as the circuit court would swear them in, it was ok. They were abusing their arrest authority and other powers.

Lawmakers changed the law and now conservators must meet mandated state training regulated by a division of the VA Department of Criminal Justice Services (Security Division) dealing with strictly conservators. Now...many departments who use conservators send their people to the local police academy and they take the same training as local law enforcement. If a dept. meets all the requirements of a police dept., they can call themselves police and have all the authority that that entitles.

Where the lights come in is that the state only allows conservators to now have red lights. My understanding is if they meet the requirements of a police dept. as mentioned above, blue lights can be kept. Some depts. have a mixture of officers trained through the police academy and some through DCJS conservator training. They do have the authority to stop vehicles and it is safer for you to stop whether red or blue. Nothing in the law states the lights have to be blue for you to pull over. Many conservators are the police. There is actually a law dealing with specifically disobeying a conservator. Also, magistrates, judges, commonwealth attorneys, and others fall under this conservator thing.

Let me know if you have any other questions and I hope this cleared it up a little,
Kenny

 

[FINS782]

RRHA Police

I work Downtown of of Leigh Street and at least twice a day I see RRHA police responding down Leigh Street lights (Red and Blue)and sirens. I guess they moving between Projects.

 

[trainman111]

If anyone travels the Powhite, take a look at the parking lot for the office at the main toll plaza just south of the James River. (SB Powhite on the right side) There is an RMA Police car there everytime I go by, unoccupied of course. I've never seen them on the roads before though.

 

[resqpig]

Here is a schedule of the classes for conservator of the peace.....

Course Schedule:
1. Orientation - 2 hours
o Virginia Law and Regulations Regarding Special Conservator of the Peace
o Code of Ethics
2. Legal Procedures/Due Process, Civil Law, Criminal Law & Constitutional Law - 8
hours
o Law
o Legal Procedures and Due Process
o Civil Law
o Criminal Law
Basic Law - 4 hours
Juvenile Law
Crimes Against Peace and Order
Crimes Against Health and Safety
Crimes Against Persons
Crimes Involving Fraud
Crimes Against Property
Laws Regarding the Use of Force/Liability Issues - 4 hours
Use of Force
Liability Issues
Obtaining an Arrest Warrant/Virginia Uniform Summons - 4 hours
Police Functions
Virginia Uniform Summons
Rules of Evidence - 1 hour
Court Room Testimony - 1 hour

I went to the police academy myself. Much better training!

 

[KF4ZTO]

I saw an RMA Special Police car the other day, had what looked like a Motorola Spectrum VHF-high band antenna on it. Would be for 156.075, I would imagine?