Welcome to the
Office of Public Safety
On this site you can learn more about Secretary Marla Graff Decker, view photos of events, read public safety related news releases from the Governor's office, and learn about intitatives the Office of Public Safety is spearheading.
In addition, you can learn more about the 14 state agencies within the Office. The responsibilities of these agencies include enforcing criminal, highway safety, and alcoholic beverage laws; protecting the public through confinement, treatment and re-entry preparation; training fire fighters, Army and Air National Guard members; and planning and coordinating the state's emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation efforts.
Public Safety is and will remain a top priority of this Administration — look to this site for the latest news and information regarding it.
Spotlight —
Badges for Baseball - Sunshine Ballpark Ceremonial ground breaking - Fredricksburg
The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation took the first step toward the construction of what will become Sunshine Ballpark in the Bragg Hill neighborhood of Fredericksburg with a ceremonial ground breaking on Monday, August 9th. This park, which will be given to the City of Fredericksburg upon completion, will be a monumental cornerstone in the region for youth development needs that include character development, health and physical education, culture, and the Foundation’s Badges for Baseball Program.
Badges for Baseball uses baseball and softball-themed programs to create mentoring opportunities between youth and local law enforcement officers. Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Marla Decker joined baseball great Cal Ripken, Jr. and other community leaders to break ground on this exciting project. Sunshine Ballpark will be a unique complex with three synthetic turf baseball fields designed to be multipurpose and low maintenance. The complex will be designed to host a variety of youth sports and physical education programs, as well one field, Ability Field, which will be designed to meet the needs of children with physical and mental disabilities.
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Latest News 
Governor Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a step authorizing state agencies to take precautionary action to prepare for any potential impacts in eastern Virginia from Hurricane Earl. A state of emergency must be declared under state law so that additional resources are available and positioned for use if necessary. The latest National Weather Service models show that Earl is expected to take a track to the east of the Commonwealth with minimal impacts.
News Release |
Executive Order 23
Governor Bob McDonnell has sent a pair of letters to President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates noting his strong opposition to the proposed closure of the U.S. Joint Forces Command in Suffolk and Norfolk announced last week.
After months of discussions, Governor Bob McDonnell has formally requested that the Department of Homeland Security enter into a 287(g) agreement with the Virginia Department of State Police allowing certain Virginia troopers to perform certain functions of a federal immigration officer within the borders of the Commonwealth. The letter follows the governor's remarks last week that his Administration has been in communication with federal authorities since February on the issue.
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