VBSO53rd Basic Academy Class2

Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office holds 53rd Basic Academy Class graduation

The Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office today held its 53rd Basic Academy Class graduation ceremony at the Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Training Academy. The ceremony recognized 16 deputy recruits’ successful completion of training.

Nearly half of the graduates are military veterans, with seven having served in the Army, Marine Corps and Navy, and five are college graduates, with degrees ranging from associate’s to master’s. Six are Virginia Beach locals and others come from as far away as Toyohashi, Japan. Six have prior law enforcement or security experience, with several having served in the Virginia Beach Police Department, Virginia Department of Corrections and Transportation Security Administration.

During the ceremony, Undersheriff Brian Struzzieri thanked the recruits’ families for their support during their training and recognized the VBSO training staff.

“Because of their hard work and the bar of excellence that they have set, they have provided this great city with quality deputies that are unmatched in the state of Virginia,” said Struzzieri. “You have prepared them for every aspect of their job. You are the best at what you do and you make us proud.”

He also congratulated the graduates and told them to continue honing their craft throughout their career.

“You have entered a field that requires you to become altruistic,” said Struzzieri. “You never take off this badge. It is bigger than you.”

Deputy Recruit Margie Hobbs graduated with this academy class after writing about her experience in the “Back to Basics” blog on vbso.net. Deputy Recruit Hobbs served the Virginia Beach Police Department for 17 years and then worked as a recruiter for Virginia Beach Emergency Communications & Citizen Services before joining the VBSO in August. 2021. She trained for several weeks with Basic Academy Class 52-22 before suffering a knee injury that required her to leave the academy and finish training with Basic Academy Class 53-22.

The 17-week VBSO Basic Academy includes training in Virginia law, ethics, cultural diversity, firearms, defensive tactics, emergency vehicle operations, first aid and more. The graduates also completed rigorous physical fitness training and courses pertaining to the Sheriff’s Office various functions: Corrections, Court Transportation and Security, and Civil Process. They each successfully met the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services requirements for graduation and have earned their Basic Jailer and Civil Process certifications.

The deputies will be assigned to the Virginia Beach Correctional Center and bring the number of active, sworn Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office deputies to 387.

The ceremony was broadcast on Facebook Live at facebook.com/vbsheriffsoffice and will also be available on the VBSO’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/@VirginiaBeachSheriffsOffice.

Members of the news media with questions or requests for additional information should contact VBSO Public Information Officer Toni Guagenti at tguagenti@vbso.net or 757-373-5012 (cell).