By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Virginia State Police will let recruits live at home during academy training under a pilot program scheduled to begin Jan. 25, 2027.
- The change takes effect with the academy’s next basic training session, which lasts about six and a half months.
- The agency says the option is aimed at qualified applicants with family responsibilities who cannot live on campus.
- Recruits who prefer to stay on campus will keep access to rent-free housing at the academy in Chesterfield County.
- Virginia State Police said 139 new troopers joined the agency in 2026, and recruits earn a starting salary of $62,100 plus benefits while attending the academy.
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Virginia State Police will give recruits the option to live at home during academy training under a pilot program set to begin Jan. 25, 2027, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
The change will begin with the academy’s next basic training session. It is meant to address a recruiting obstacle for qualified applicants who cannot spend six and a half months living on campus. Capt. Clifford Kincaid, commander of the agency’s training division, said candidates with children or other family obligations may want to become troopers but cannot meet the residency requirement. “Our goal is to attract top-tier talent to sustain operations, and we don’t want the academy residency requirement to hinder our efforts,” Kincaid told the newspaper.
Recruits who prefer to stay on campus will still have rent-free housing at the academy in Chesterfield County. The agency also offers an accelerated lateral entry program for officers certified by Virginia’s Department of Criminal Justice Services, which lets eligible officers become troopers after five weeks of training.
Virginia State Police said 139 new troopers joined the agency in 2026. Recruits receive a starting salary of $62,100 plus benefits while attending the academy.