On February 1st, 2022, tragedy struck The Commonwealth when Bridgewater College Police Officer John Painter and Campus Safety Officer J.J. Jefferson were killed in a shooting on campus. Fast forward to June 16th, 2023, when Wintergreen Police Officer Chris Wagner was killed in a shooting near Wintergreen Resort. Like most residents of our Commonwealth, you might be wondering how these senseless murders of public servants are connected.
Here in Virginia, we have a program called the Line of Duty Act. LODA was established in 1972 and provides benefits to eligible family members of eligible employees and volunteers killed in the line of duty and to those eligible employees and volunteers disabled in the line of duty and their eligible family members. Essentially, localities pay a premium for their qualifying employees, and if needed, it is used to provide the benefit to surviving family members. Makes sense, right? Our police officers and firefighters are out there every day protecting us from the dangers of the world. The least we can do is provide their families a benefit if, God forbid, they are killed in the line of duty while keeping us safe.
Ordinarily, that’s how LODA works, but in these two cases, it’s different. The difference is that these officers are considered Private Police Officers under the Code of Virginia. Private Police Officers are required to possess the same certifications as any other law enforcement officer in The Commonwealth. They attend the same training. They even perform many of the same tasks. Why aren’t we extending the same benefits to them?
Virginia has a total of 16 private police departments (8 College Campus Police Departments and 8 Private Entity State Authorized Police Departments). Emphasis on “State Authorized.” All these departments have been through the process with the General Assembly to be vetted and approved to operate. The only downfall is, they’re specifically left out of the Line of Duty Act.
During the 2024 Legislative Session, I was proud to introduce House Bill 232 “Benefits for Campus and Private Police Officers.” This would have allowed private police departments to opt into the LODA program, pay their own premiums and then offer survivor benefits to the families of fallen officers if needed.
On the morning of January 18th, I stood in front of a House Subcommittee, read my bill and then watched supporters of the legislation provide heartfelt testimony on why a change needed to be made. Unfortunately, the subcommittee did not agree. To say I was shocked and heartbroken for these families was an understatement. I just could not believe that as elected officials, we were going to continue leaving these families out just because they wear a different patch on their uniform.
As we approach the 2025 Legislative Session, I’m happy to say that I will be introducing this legislation again and for as long as it takes to make this critical change. We have a chance to make a real impact on families whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice for their communities. This shouldn’t be about our philosophical differences of opinion on policing. This should be about doing the right thing and taking care of those who take care of us.
Ellen Campbell is a member of the House of Delegates from Rockbridge County. She is a Republican.
