A recently promoted Goochland officer is heading up the effort of the oldest law enforcement agency in the nation to gain accreditation.

Rebecca Herrera is the only Goochland resident on the Capitol Police Force, the agency that is responsible for law enforcement in the Capitol Complex in Richmond.

The agency also provides security for the governor and his family when they are at home in the Governor’s Mansion, provides security for the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, Virginia Supreme Court justices and members of the state legislature.

The Division of Capitol Police traces its origin back to 1618, when it was organized to protect the Colonial Governor in Jamestown.

“It’s such a unique police department,” said Herrera, 47. “There’s none other like in the country.”

The division is also unique in that it reports to the legislative branch. Their boss is current Speaker of the House of Delegates William Howell.

Ernie O’Boyle, a retired Department of Criminal Justice Services agent who now works for the division, explained some of the other interesting aspects of the Capitol Police.

“We have a resident population of five people and a dog – the governor and his family,” said O’Boyle.

But when the General Assembly is in session, that population can swell in the daytime to six to eight thousand people on the grounds, he said.

“And we’ve never written a speeding ticket,” added O’Boyle.

O’Boyle has been working with Herrera and thinks she is an ideal choice for her new job as Accreditation Manager.

Herrera grew up near Watkinsville, Georgia (“I’m still a Bulldogs fan.”) but move to the Richmond area with her mother and two sisters when she was 15. She worked in the medical field as a nursing assistant for 15 years after graduating from George Wythe High School in 1980.

Herrera met and married Richmond Police officer Jose Herrera and stayed at home with the couple’s three children, but her interest shifted from nursing to law enforcement. She obtained her Associates Degree Administration of Justice from J.S. Reynolds and began work for the Capitol Police in 2000. She is currently working on a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Averett University.

In her new position Herrera will be responsible for preparing the division to pass the accreditation process of the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC).

A mock assessment took place on December 1, with inspectors scheduled to be back on site January 3 – 5 for the official assessment.

The December 1 visit went well, said Herrera.

“We have a few things to work on but they are fairly minor. We’re going to be okay,” she predicted.

Herrera appears undaunted by the project at hand, which involves successfully meeting 180 standards set by the Department of Criminal Justice Services.

Herrera and O’Boyle said a lot of the preparation has already been done.

“Let’s face it, citizens expect this,” said O’Boyle of the accreditation process.

Herrera credited mother, who lives with the family and her best friend Regina Hamlor with helping her achieve her goals.

“Without the two of them none of this would have been possible,” she said.