Veterans have always found law enforcement to be an attractive career path after their military service. But not for the simplistic reason that the Veteran trades one gun in for another; in many ways, it’s the leadership training and experience they have gained in the military that help them to succeed in high-stress, high-demand occupations.
“We are extremely proud to have more than 170 veterans working for the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff McCabe. “Approximately 40 percent of the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office employees are veterans.”
Veterans come from various military occupations that all bring unique value to the mission of the Sheriff’s Office, which includes serving the community by running the Norfolk City Jail, managing courthouse security, and even delivering eviction notices and subpoenas.
The value Norfolk Sheriffs place on Veterans starts at the top. Sheriff Bob McCabe is himself a Navy veteran, and has dedicated himself to creating a culture that values veterans since he was elected as Norfolk’s Sheriff in 1993. As the manager of the largest jail in the Commonwealth, McCabe has recognized the need for great leaders: to lead deputies, to make them efficient, and to instill the importance of a higher purpose. That’s where veterans come in. With years of leadership experience in the military, veterans make up many of the best employees on the force.
Sheriff McCabe places a great emphasis on leadership development at every level to make sure he has great teams. He uses veterans to help every individual in the organization be the best they can be. He promoted a veteran of the United States Marine Corps specifically to create an in-house leadership development training course for deputies. The deputies take these lessons with them in their daily duties and throughout their daily lives.
The positive atmosphere of the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office has not gone unnoticed. It has been recognized by Inside Business Publications as one of the “Best Places to Work in Hampton Roads” every year since 2010. For Veterans in particular, they have established a one year curriculum for on-the-job law enforcement training that is approved for GI Bill funding.
Cpl Eric Maldonado took advantage of that option, earning an additional $18,000 in his first year working with the Sheriff’s Office, when calculating GI Bill income. “It was great to have that option,” said Maldonado, who previously had spent three years in the Army. Programs like these help demonstrate their commitment not only to hiring Veterans, but to providing them with quality training so they can have a long-term career.
Before joining the V3 Program, the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office had always strived to hire Veterans, but they weren’t actively tracking the number of Veterans on staff. According to NSO, V3 has boosted their efforts to attract and retain even more veterans. Through V3, they got connected with the Navy’s Fleet and Family Support Center of Hampton Roads to notify service members of employment opportunities before they exited the military. Sheriff McCabe has also bolstered his targeted outreach to service members through social media. Highlighting current veterans in videos, he is encouraging more people exiting the military in Hampton Roads to consider becoming a deputy. This proactive stance to recruiting quality talent has raised the bar at all levels, and increased the overall professionalism and level of service offered.
“As a veteran myself,” Sheriff McCabe said, “I know and understand the value of having veterans work within our organization. Veterans are already service-oriented, and their military background makes them a great fit for law enforcement.”
The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office joined the V3 Program in May 2013, and has since hired 103 Veterans. To find careers with this great V3-Certified Employer, visit http://www.norfolksheriffsoffice.com/employment/.