The Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy was founded on July 1, 1978. Edward J. Evers was the first Executive Director and retired on 30 June 2008 after over thirty years.  The Academy's first home was an office at Dominion Bank on Princess Anne Street in the City of Fredericksburg. Classrooms were located in the basement area of the bank building and the Fredericksburg Police Department.
 

The Academy moved from this location in 1980 to a remodeled office at the FMC Plant, where it remained for several years before moving on in 1983 to the old Maury School (built in 1919). Maury School, with four classrooms and offices on the third floor, remained the Academy home for eight years. The second floor of the school was used for practical exercises and role playing. Necessary, but not forthcoming renovations for the school forced the Academy to move once again. The Academy applied for and was awarded a Farmers Home Administration Community Facilities Loan to begin a one year project that would build their own facility. On August 1, 1990 the building was completed. The beautiful and modern Lee Hill Industrial Park location has four classrooms, office spaces, a large gym, a practical exercise area and role playing facility. The Academy presently maintains a property assessment of over one and a half million dollars.
 

During 1999 an addition to the Academy was completed which added six classrooms, a 250 seat auditorium, a conference room, a Fire Arms Training Simulator Room, cafeteria and additional office space for the Director and his immediate staff. Also in 1999, the Academy expanded further by purchasing approximately four acres of property directly across from the existing facility. There is presently a 1/4 mile running track and an overflow parking area but the potential exists for an athletic exercise course, a larger parking facility, student dormitories, a drill field, mock village and a rappel tower.
 
 

With the addition of fourteen new agencies and a satellite facility in Front Royal in 1999, (subsequently moved to Middletown in March of 2003) full time law enforcement, jail officer and communications training is provided for over sixty agencies, making the Rappahannock the largest regional training facility in the state. Those agencies receiving training at the Academy are located in over twenty-five northern and central Virginia counties. Also, the Academy has, in the past, provided training to personnel of the Division of State Parks.

In 2006, the academy completed construction on and began using a long awaited driver training facility.  Dave Vice assumed duties as the Executive Director on 1 July 2008.

The overall goal of the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy is to provide the best mandated and specialized training at the most reasonable cost through the use of the best instructors from various local and state agencies. These instructors possess special talents or skills and the ability to pass their talent on to others. This system provides the highest achievable level of professional law enforcement, jailer, communications and other Criminal Justice related training furnished to participating jurisdictions through the development and operation of initial employee training, continuing in-service training and special training programs. The Academy has grown to the point of providing training to over 3000 officers each year and over its history has built a reputation for dedication to excellence in training and increasing the level of knowledge in their students, while building pride in the law enforcement profession.
 
 

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