VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office held its bi-annual jail-wide search Saturday at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center.
The Virginia Beach Correctional Center is the largest city jail in the state. It holds more than 1,000 inmates.
On Saturday morning, 154 people from the Sheriff’s Office went into the correctional center to look for any contraband.
“We’re looking for any type of weapon first of all, any type of drugs that have been smuggled into the facility,” said Sheriff Rocky Holcomb.
Five K-9 units used their noses to sniff and search cell blocks and beds.
“We’re also looking for anything that’s fashioned into contraband that the inmate wasn’t issued, that they can use for something else. So, for example, a tattoo kit is a popular item they try to make inside the facility,” said Sheriff Holcomb.
Sheriff Holcomb emphasized the importance of the searches as there are many ways items can get in the correctional center. The Sheriff’s Office holds this search twice a year to keep the inmate’s cells clean and the staff safe, which consists of more than 500 people.