Leesburg Police Department No Longer Accredited By State Board

LEESBURG, VA — The Leesburg Police Department is no longer accredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission. The commission voted not to reaffirm the police department's accreditation on Thursday.

In a news release, the Leesburg Police Department cited previous administrative errors as the reason for their lack of accreditation.

"In early 2022, while in a period of transition between accreditation managers, the Leesburg Police Department discovered administrative errors that had been made during previous accreditation terms," police officials wrote in the news release. "These administrative errors do not impact the day-to-day operations of the Leesburg Police Department or the department’s ability to continue to deliver professional high-quality police services to the community."

Officials said the administrative errors caused the police department to fail to comply with 4 of the commission's 191 accreditation standards during previous terms. The police department self-reported their findings, authorities said.

Vanessa Grigsby is the interim chief of police in Leesburg.

"It is important for our residents, businesses, and visitors to the Town of Leesburg, Virginia to know that this decision will not change the Leesburg Police Department’s high level of professionalism and our exceptional level of customer service that we continue to provide to our community each and every day," Grigsby said in a news release. "In the continued spirit of community trust through transparency, I feel it important to notify the public of the commission’s decision and I will personally ensure that the Leesburg Police Department remains in full compliance with all VLEPSC accreditation standards going forward."

The police department said it would begin the process t0 achieve accreditation. The department could be eligible for a reassessment in December 2023.