Harrisonburg Police Department

10/15/2026

It's in-service training season!

Twice a year, in the spring and the fall, our officers participate in various training exercises hosted by our training and personnel development unit. Each session focuses on a different area of police tactics. Today, officers practiced building searches and room clearing.

Small-scale and specific training is important in ensuring our officers are well equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for any situation they may encounter. Our training division is able to provide large and small-group instruction as officers are completing their exercises, making sure they are able to apply the lessons learned in training to real-world scenarios.

10/14/2026

It's hard to believe we are already almost halfway through October! It is never too early to start planning for Halloween, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has some great safety resources online:

1. Don't get a jump scare: Check First!
Avoid the tricks this Halloween by planning your trick-or-treat route in advance. Try to stay in a familiar neighborhood with well-lit streets. Don’t want to lose your little goblins and ghouls? Try adding reflective tape to costumes or candy bags for extra visibility.

2. No ghost should haunt alone: Take a Friend!
Traveling in packs makes Halloween both fun and safe! Walk younger kids all the way to the door and remind older kids to stick with their group and have a charged cellphone ready. And if something spooky comes up…Who you gonna call? Your trusted adult, of course! That way the night stays spook-tastic from start to finish.

3. Caught in a spooky situation? Tell People No!
Even on a fun Halloween night, it’s important to remind kids to stand their ground. Help kids beat those scary tricks by teaching them to say ‘no’ if someone tries to separate them or take them somewhere without your permission.

4. Asking for help isn’t scary: Tell People No!
Even on the spookiest night of the year, kids don’t have to face tricky situations alone. If something feels off, they should tell a trusted adult right away. Whether it’s a parent, guardian or another grown-up they know, having a trusted adult nearby helps keep the night fun and worry-free. And if you’re with a big group of witches, werewolves and ghosts, consider asking another adult to tag along.

At the end of the day, Halloween is meant to be spookily safe and loads of fun. After all, a safe Halloween is the most magical treat of all!

Download NCMEC's tips here and get more parent tips about preventing abduction at https://www.missingkids.org/education.

10/13/2026

We had a blast Friday at the 24th Annual Harrisonburg Police Department S.W.A.T. Competition.

We were joined by 11 other teams from across the Commonwealth for a day of testing teamwork, strength, agility, and weapons skills. Congratulations to Chesterfield County Police for winning first place overall, and our very own HPD S.W.A.T. team for winning the pistol shoot-off!

10/13/2026

We have lots of events coming up this month! All of them are free for our community, and we hope to see you there.

Cookout With A Cop- Join us on October 18 for Cookout with A Cop! Officers will be grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, playing games, and maybe getting a few runs down the slide at the new kids castle playground! We will be at Purcell Park from 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. for this event.

DEA Drug Takeback Day- We will be set up at Martin's Grocery Store on October 24 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. collecting unused, expired, or unneeded prescription medication. Martin's pharmacy will also host a flu shot clinic during these times, and we will be joined by other community partners discussing medication safety.

Public Safety Trunk-or-Treat - Join us Friday, October 30, in the parking lot of the Public Safety Building for Trunk-or-Treat with Harrisonburg's public safety partners! HPD, HFD, HRS, and HRECC will be set up with candy, giveaways, and, of course, all of the cool vehicles for a touch-a-truck. Wear your favorite costume and join us for some family-friendly fun.

10/10/2026

Welcome our new Varsity Head Basketball Coach Jordan Miller! Congratulations and we look forward to you leading our program!

10/08/2026

The following news release, which was initially posted on September 2 and then updated on October 6, has been amended to reflect the correct charges against Joshua Dean. It was first reported that Dean was being charged with possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I or II narcotic when, in fact, he was charged with possession with intent to distribute ma*****na. We apologize for this error and have corrected the information to ensure the public record is accurate.

Third Suspect Arrested Related to September Vine Street Shooting

Preston Crawford, 19, of Broadway, has been arrested in connection with a shooting that took place in the 200 block of Vine Street on September 1, 2026.

At 4:52 pm on September 1, 2026, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communication Center (HRECC) received a call stating there were multiple gunshots heard in the 200 block of Vine Street. Just after that, an additional caller stated he had just shot someone who broke into his apartment.

Crawford was located at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds, and aid was immediately rendered by first responders before he was transported to the hospital.

Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD) detectives began investigating the shooting and were provided home security footage from inside the apartment. The video showed Crawford and a 15-year-old juvenile entering the apartment. Crawford entered first with a handgun pointed out in front of him. When the resident of the apartment, Joshua Dean, saw Crawford with the fi***rm pointed at him, he began firing at Crawford, who was struck multiple times.

Preston Crawford, 19, of Broadway, has been charged with the following:

• Breaking and Entering with Intent to Commit Murder (felony)
• Conspiracy to Commit a Felony (felony)
• Display of a Fi***rm While Committing a Felony (felony)
• Removing, Altering, or Obliterating a Fi***rm Serial Number (misdemeanor)
• Concealing Identity by Wearing a Mask or Other Covering (felony)

Specific information regarding Crawford’s pending charges was withheld from the initial news release to protect the integrity of the investigation. The initial release states:

At 4:52 pm on September 1, 2026, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communication Center (HRECC) received a call stating there were multiple gunshots heard in the 200 block of Vine Street. Just after that, an additional caller stated he had just shot someone who broke into his apartment.

The Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD), Harrisonburg Fire Department (HFD), and Harrisonburg Rescue Squad responded and found a 19-year-old male with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Sentara RMH by ambulance and flown to UVA Medical Center. He has serious injuries but is in stable condition.

HPD Criminal Investigations Detectives, HPD K9 Unit, and the HFD Drone Team responded to assist with the investigation. Based on information gathered at the scene, a subsequent search warrant was executed at Howard Johnson on E Market Street in Harrisonburg.

Joshua Dean, 18, is being charged with possession with intent to distribute ma*****na, a felony. A juvenile is charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit murder, a felony, and as a principal in the second degree, a felony.

This is still an active, open investigation, and more charges may be filed in this case. Anyone with information on this shooting should call 540-434-4436 and ask to speak with Detective Urrutty or visit www.harrisonburgva.gov/tip-411. Both methods are anonymous, and information leading to the arrest of a suspect may be eligible for a reward through Crime Solvers.

10/06/2026

Third Suspect Arrested Related to September Vine Street Shooting

Preston Crawford, 19, of Broadway, has been arrested in connection with a shooting that took place in the 200 block of Vine Street on September 1, 2026.

At 4:52 pm on September 1, 2026, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communication Center (HRECC) received a call stating there were multiple gunshots heard in the 200 block of Vine Street. Just after that, an additional caller stated he had just shot someone who broke into his apartment.

Crawford was located at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds, and aid was immediately rendered by first responders before he was transported to the hospital.

Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD) detectives began investigating the shooting and were provided home security footage from inside the apartment. The video showed Crawford and a 15-year-old juvenile entering the apartment. Crawford entered first with a handgun pointed out in front of him. When the resident of the apartment, Joshua Dean, saw Crawford with the fi***rm pointed at him, he began firing at Crawford, who was struck multiple times.

Preston Crawford, 19, of Broadway, has been charged with the following:

• Breaking and Entering with Intent to Commit Murder (felony)
• Conspiracy to Commit a Felony (felony)
• Display of a Fi***rm While Committing a Felony (felony)
• Removing, Altering, or Obliterating a Fi***rm Serial Number (misdemeanor)
• Concealing Identity by Wearing a Mask or Other Covering (felony)

Specific information regarding Crawford’s pending charges was withheld from the initial news release to protect the integrity of the investigation. The initial release states:

At 4:52 pm on September 1, 2026, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communication Center (HRECC) received a call stating there were multiple gunshots heard in the 200 block of Vine Street. Just after that, an additional caller stated he had just shot someone who broke into his apartment.

The Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD), Harrisonburg Fire Department (HFD), and Harrisonburg Rescue Squad responded and found a 19-year-old male with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Sentara RMH by ambulance and flown to UVA Medical Center. He has serious injuries but is in stable condition.

HPD Criminal Investigations Detectives, HPD K9 Unit, and the HFD Drone Team responded to assist with the investigation. Based on information gathered at the scene, a subsequent search warrant was executed at Howard Johnson on E Market Street in Harrisonburg.

Joshua Dean, 18, is being charged with possession with intent to distribute ma*****na, a felony. A juvenile is charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit murder, a felony, and as a principal in the second degree, a felony.

This is still an active, open investigation, and more charges may be filed in this case. Anyone with information on this shooting should call 540-434-4436 and ask to speak with Detective Urrutty or visit www.harrisonburgva.gov/tip-411. Both methods are anonymous, and information leading to the arrest of a suspect may be eligible for a reward through Crime Solvers.

10/06/2026

Join us Friday, October 30, in the parking lot of the Public Safety Building for Trunk-or-Treat with Harrisonburg's public safety partners!

HPD, HFD, and HRECC will be set up with candy, giveaways, and, of course, all of the cool vehicles for a touch-a-truck. Wear your favorite costume and join us for some family-friendly fun.

10/06/2026

October 6, 2026- This suspect has been identified. Thank you to those who helped in this case.

On September 23, we shared with the community that in the early morning hours of September 20, the Harrisonburg Police Department responded to the Sharp Shopper parking lot for reports of a disorderly conduct incident in progress. Upon arrival, officers located one victim bleeding from the head.

HPD is now seeking information on the identity of the man pictured below, as he is now a suspect in this case. He drives a red pickup truck, also shown in the photos below.

This is still an active, open investigation, and anyone with information should call 540-437-2617 to speak with Det. McCaughan or visit www.harrisonburgva.gov/tip-411. Both methods are anonymous.