Editing Albemarle County, Virginia (section)

=== Law enforcement ===
The Albemarle County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) and the Albemarle County Police Department (ACPD) provide law enforcement services in the county.

The ACSO was created in 1745 when Joseph Thompson was appointed as the first sheriff. Then in 1895, citizens started electing sheriffs for 4-year terms. Lucian Watts was the first elected sheriff.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=http://www.albemarleso.org/Nhistory.html |title=Albemarle County Sheriff's Office - History<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627031218/http://www.albemarleso.org/Nhistory.html |archive-date=June 27, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> {{As of|2022}} the sheriff is Chan Bryant, the county's first woman sheriff.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bryant sworn in as Albemarle County Sheriff |url=http://www.cbs19news.com/story/41506256/bryant-sworn-in-as-albemarle-county-sheriff |access-date=October 25, 2022 |website=CBS19 News |language=en}}</ref>

The ACPD was created in 1983. Prior to 1983, local county governments could create a police force by a simple vote held by their respective board of supervisors. In February 1983 the Virginia General Assembly restricted the authority of county governments to create police forces without a voter referendum. The law did not go into effect until July 1983: On May 11, 1983, before the law took effect, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance creating the Albemarle County Police Department. That original ordinance provided for a police chief and five full time officers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lfweb.albemarle.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=1769&dbid=0&repo=CountyofAlbemarle&cr=1|title=Error|website=lfweb.albemarle.org|accessdate=May 20, 2023}}</ref> George W. Bailey was the first chief of police.<ref name="auto"/> {{As of|2022}} the chief of police is Sean Reeves. The ACPD currently has 140 sworn officers, 23 civilian employees, and 3 animal control officers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=police&relpage=10237|title=Albemarle County Police Department - Who are we<!-- Bot generated title -->|accessdate=May 20, 2023|archive-date=September 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929092205/http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=police&relpage=10237|url-status=dead}}</ref>