In 2011, the Richmond Police Department reformed the Special Victims Unit, formally known as Domestic & Sexual Violence Unit, with the goal of ending the cycle of violence prevalent in child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse cases. The unit works in collaboration with Community Violence Solutions, S.T.A.N.D! Against Domestic Violence and a myriad of additional advocacy and counseling organizations to achieve the goal.
The Special Victims Unit is comprised of five full-time detectives and one sergeant. The unit investigates the following crimes:
- Sexual assault
- Domestic violence
- Child abuse
- Elder abuse
- Runaways / missing persons
The Special Victims Unit is also responsible for the enforcement and administrative processing of convicted sex offenders living in the City of Richmond.
Special Victims Unit detectives also participate in community awareness fairs and provide training to counseling and advocacy organizations, local high schools, and our own officers.