Sheriff David R. Hines has been a member of the law enforcement community in Hanover County, Virginia, since 1984.  A 30+ year community advocate, Sheriff Hines was elected to his current office in 2010 after serving as Lieutenant Colonel of the Sheriff’s Office as well as in many other progressive positions throughout his career.  He was born and raised locally and is a graduate of the Richmond Regional Criminal Justice Center at the University of Richmond and the 195^th Session of the FBI’s National Academy.  

Sheriff Hines began his career as a Deputy Sheriff of Uniform Patrol Operations in 1984, a position he served in until 1985.  Showing incredible promise and potential, Sheriff Hines was recognized regularly by his commanders and progressed through the ranks of the agency.  Throughout his career, Sheriff Hines has served Hanover County in the following capacities: Investigator assigned to Vice/Narcotics Unit (1985-1991); Sergeant assigned to Patrol Operations (1991); Sergeant assigned to Vice/Narcotics Unit (1991-1994); Sergeant assigned to Internal Affairs Unit (1994-1995); Lieutenant assigned to Professional Standards Division (1995-1996); Lieutenant of Special Investigative Operations (1996-1997); Captain assigned to Investigative Division (1997-2002); Major assigned to Field Operations (2002-2003); Lieutenant Colonel (2003-2010); and Colonel/Sheriff (2010-Present).

Remaining committed to the highest standards within the law enforcement profession, Sheriff Hines is currently responsible for the overall operations of the Sheriff’s Office, which provides law enforcement services to a county comprising 471 square miles and a population of 104,124 residents.  He directs 207 law enforcement deputies, 23 court service deputies, and 25 non-sworn professionals as of 2015.  The Sheriff’s Office is both state and internationally accredited, making Hanover County one of only a few jurisdictions in the State of Virginia to have such a distinction.  Sheriff Hines has led the agency to successfully achieve accreditation by the Virginia Law Enforcement and Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) for the fifth time.  Moreover, Sheriff Hines’ leadership has allowed the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office to achieve the highest assessment and an award of “Excellence” with Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

With a dedication to fighting crime and reducing the overall crime rate within the county, Sheriff Hines has been credited with implementing the Crime Management Initiative (CMI) Program.  This program actively engages members of Patrol, Investigations, and the Crime Prevention units and analyzes crime trends in order to develop solutions to current or projected issues in Hanover County as well as surrounding geographic areas.

Sheriff Hines has been recognized on the state level by both Governor McDonnell (R) and Governor McAuliffe (D) for his service and expertise. He was appointed to the Governor’s Board of Juvenile Justice in 2013 and the Governor’s Task Force on Prescription Drug and Heroin Abuse in 2014—two committees to which he continues to deliver representation in order to improve life for all Commonwealth citizens.  Additionally, Sheriff Hines has been key in elevating the profile of the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office on a national level.  He was recognized and acknowledged by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for his leadership during the 2011 search for Robert Wood, Jr., a missing autistic child.  Through Sheriff Hines’ key decisiveness, strategic execution, and resource deployment, the eight-year-old was safely recovered and reunited with his family.  The effort involved hundreds of first responders, thousands of volunteers, and massive amounts of resources as well as garnered support from a large number of agencies, organizations, and individuals across all levels of government and the private sector over the course of six days—ultimately leading to his being presented with an award for his leadership in attaining a positive end result.

Sheriff Hines has also been commended by a number of organizations for his involvement in implementing proactive and innovative programs and processes in the Sheriff’s Office.  He has been recognized through the following: 2020 American Legion (Virginia) Law Enforcement Officer of the Year; Meritorious Service Award; Certificate of Merit; Sheriff’s Challenge Coin; NACO Award Winning Crime Management Initiative (CMI) Program; Dedication to Duty Award; Excellent Service Award; and Safe Driver Award.  He was a recognized attendee at the Annual Congressional Breakfast for Law Enforcement Professionals in 2012, received the Governor of Virginia’s Award for Narcotics Enforcement, and was heralded by the Savannah Police Department with a Certificate of Merit for Collaborative Work for his successful ability to engage across state lines as well as police departments when handling and resolving crime-related matters.

Continually committed to the best in professional development and education, Sheriff Hines has attended hundreds of hours of specialized training in the fields of Investigations, Search and Seizure, Terrorism, Civil Liability, Homeland Security, and Executive Development and Community Policing.  He is an avid participant at seminars and conferences and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the Virginia Association of the Chiefs of Police, the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, and more.  He has led as a Past Training Director for the Eastern States Vice Investigations Association and served as the Past Chairman for the Central Virginia Law Enforcement Chief Executives’ Association.

Colonel Hines and his family worship at Mechanicsville Baptist Church where he serves on the Board of Deacons. He is also a 32^nd degree Mason at Washington Henry Lodge, #344, A.F. & A.M. and Metropolitan Lodge #11 A.F. & A.M. He and his wife Pat have been happily married since 1978.  They have two children and currently reside in Hanover County.

Following an exemplary career path, Sheriff Hines has remained vigilant, continually exercising sound judgment related to the county’s law enforcement endeavors.  With a passion for delivering exceptional service to the public good, he has built and strengthened community partnerships with faith-based, non-profit, and corporate organizations while always striving to inspire confidence and respect amongst citizens.  Sheriff Hines’ leadership has successfully and effectively positioned the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office as a model of excellence in the state of Virginia and across the United States.