Criminal Investigations Commander

Lieutenant Chris Rush - Division Commander
ccrush@harrisonburgva.gov

The Criminal Investigations Division has a myriad of responsibilities, which include, the investigation of violent crimes, major property crimes and other investigations which require a degree of specialized investigative approach. Each investigator has specialized training in areas such as sex crimes, crimes involving children, fraud, and computer crimes. The investigators utilize, and coordinate many local, state and federal resources in their investigative efforts, and work closely with the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney for the administration of justice.

General Investigations
RUSH Drug Task Force
CHARGE Gang Task Force
School Resource Unit

General Investigations is comprised of six investigators and they are assigned a wide range of cases including sex crimes, property crimes, fraud cases, felonious assaults, and computer crimes.  Investigators receive specialized training to prepare them to handle their caseload.  Ultimately, their cases are presented to the Commonwealth's Attorney for the administration of justice in the courts.

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RUSH Drug Task Force
Phone: 540-434-1229  rdtf@comcast.net

In 1990, the chief law enforcement officials of the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Virginia in conjunction with the Virginia State Police, identified the need to start a Regional Narcotics Task Force, the purpose of which would be to institute enforcement actions directed at those individuals and/or organizations that have been identified as major multi-jurisdictional violators.  Since that time the RUSH Task Force has continued to identify, target, investigate and prosecute those individuals and organizations that distribute, and or manufacture quantities of narcotics in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County area.

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CHARGE Gang Task Force
Phone: 540-437-2643

The Combined Harrisonburg and Rockingham Gang Enforcement Unit is a multi-jurisdictional task force comprised of members from the Harrisonburg Police Department and the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.

Their objective is to respond to the proliferation of local gangs and their impact on the Harrisonburg/Rockingham community through:

1. Intelligence gathering and dissemination with various agencies.
2. Criminal investigation and prosecution of gangs and gang members.
3. Providing gang awareness and prevention information to the public and gang training to the local law enforcement community.

Since its inception in 2005, the CHARGE Gang Task Force has identified over 900 gang members, suspected members and associates operating or living in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham area.  These individuals are associated with over a dozen nationally recognized criminal street gangs. 

Over that time, our community has seen gang members commit crimes that range in severity from graffiti and simple assault, to malicious wounding, robbery and homicide.

CHARGE cannot successfully confront the gang problem in our area without help from the community.

To provide any gang related information, report graffiti, or request a gang presentation for a school or civic organization please contact the CHARGE Unit.

If you wish to remain anonymous we will honor your request.

Call the CHARGE Gang Task Force:
540-437-2643

Call the Emergency Communication Center (ECC) for an officer or deputy to respond and take a report of gang graffiti or any in progress gang activity.
540-434-4436

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School Resource Unit - The officers that work in Harrisonburg City Public Schools provide a vital service to the future of the youth in the area.  The strong working relationship between the police and the school administrators provide a safe environment for students to learn, while allowing the officer to offer guidance and classes to benefit the students.  Harrisonburg High School, Thomas Harrison Middle School, and Skyline Middle School all have School Resource Officers and the elementary schools are the responsibility of the DARE Officer.

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