Professionalism, Dedication, Integrity

Welcome to the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy (CVCJA) website. The CVCJA is one of ten regional academies within the State of Virginia and has been preparing individuals for careers in local law enforcement, jail, civil process, court security and dispatch since 1975. In our more than 40-year proud history of providing excellence in criminal justice training, thousands of our graduates have gone on to successful careers and have distinguished themselves by performing at the highest levels of our profession. In 2022, the CVCJA trained 4,840 personnel in various topics.

The Academy staff is comprised of highly skilled and dedicated law enforcement trainers who are committed to providing the highest quality training to our member agency personnel. Officers and deputies from participating agencies continue their law enforcement, jail, and CS-CP mandated training through In-Service, Supervisory, and Command Staff training courses. Over 150 classroom courses are offered to veteran officers each year. Instructors certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia or other professionally recognized trainers teach these courses and are selected based on their expertise and mastery of the subject matter. Areas of instruction include patrol topics, investigations, jail operations, forensics, traffic, Constitutional and criminal law, use of force, terrorism, defensive tactics, wellness, leadership & management, as well as numerous other specialized courses. Our Academy continues to be a leader in providing exceptional training to public-safety personnel. We continuously research, design, and implement the most effective, up-to-date, and most realistic training possible.