Goochland deputies honored by sheriff’s office and Rotary Club awards

Deputy R. East and Deputy J. Hanckel were honored for the kind of work Goochland residents rely on most: the patrols, calls and courtroom duties that keep the county moving on an ordinary day and on a holiday night. R. East received the sheriff’s office first quarter Distinguished Service Award, while J. Hanckel was named Deputy of the Year by the Rotary Club of Goochland.

The recognitions point to a sheriff’s office that says its mission reaches well beyond routine patrol. The Goochland County Sheriff’s Office describes itself as a multi-faceted agency that handles patrol, investigations, community outreach and education, and a 9-1-1 call center. Uniformed deputies cover all 284 square miles of Goochland County around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.

That full-time presence is paired with other duties that often stay out of public view. The sheriff’s office also handles the security of three courtrooms, the movement of prisoners and the enforcement of court orders, giving the honors to R. East and Hanckel added weight as a reflection of work that reaches deep into daily public safety.

The Rotary Club of Goochland, listed by county government among Goochland’s community organizations, has long been part of that civic network. The club’s recognition of Hanckel underscored the partnership between local service groups and the sheriff’s office, which depends on steady trust as much as on enforcement.

The office’s culture of public service is also rooted in long local careers. Major Michael A. East, a current leader in the agency, began in Goochland County public safety as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT in 2000 at Fire Station 6 in Hadensville. He joined the sheriff’s office in 2001 as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, became a patrol deputy in 2003 and an investigator in 2006, then returned in 2020 as chief deputy under Sheriff Steven Creasey after serving as chief deputy. The office also identifies him as a lifetime member of the Goochland County Fire Rescue Department.

Recognition for deputies has not been limited to this year’s honors. In 2024, the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association recognized Goochland County personnel in statewide award categories that included Deputy of the Year and Dispatcher of the Year, signaling a broader pattern of acknowledgment for the office’s work.

A Rotary newsletter later said Sheriff Steven Creasey spoke to the club and praised the work he and his deputies do to keep the community safe. For Goochland, the latest honors landed as a reminder that public safety here depends on people who know the county, work its roads and answer its calls every day.