VACP 2022 Outstanding Legislator Award Presented to Senator Mark Obenshain

• By: VACP
• On: 09/12/2022 11:29:14
• In: VACP News

Virginia State Senator Mark Obenshain was honored on September 12 by the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police with the 2022 Outstanding Legislator Award. The award was presented during the VACP Annual Conference at the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center. 
 
“Senator Obenshain has long supported law enforcement and public safety in Virginia,” said VACP President A.J. Panebianco, Middleburg Police Chief. “His efforts to right the injustices in the parole system and to fight for benefits for law enforcement officers make him a true Virginia leader.”

Senator Obenshain took a strong interest in the operations of the Virginia Parole Board in 2020 when opposition was raised against the parole of Vincent Martin, who was convicted of murdering Richmond Police Officer Michael Connors in 1979. Senator Obenshain introduced and supported legislation to make the Parole Board more accountable and transparent and to ensure that the rights of crime victims are protected in the parole process. 

The deaths of two officers this year at Bridgewater College, a private institution in Rockingham County, raised concerns for Senator Obenshain that private campus police officers currently are not eligible for Virginia Line of Duty Act benefits. He worked with Governor Youngkin to ensure that monetary relief was provided for the two officers as a special consideration in the state budget. 

“He is one of the Senate's leading voices on public safety and law enforcement,” said VACP President Panebianco. “The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police is thankful for Senator Obenshain's commitment to law enforcement, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with him to achieve our shared goal of a safer Virginia.”
 
Senator Obenshain represents Senate District 26, which is comprised of the City of Harrisonburg, Page County, Rappahannock County, Shenandoah County, Warren County, and part of Rockingham County.
  The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police is a statewide organization of federal, state, and local police chiefs and law enforcement executives dedicated to improving the professionalism of police agencies in Virginia. The Association was founded in 1926 and provides annual training programs for law enforcement executives in leadership, management, and ethics.