Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy

04/30/2026

Week 17 for the 87th Basic Law Enforcement Class is coming to an end. This week, they began the classroom portion of Officer Survival and Vehicle Operations. They also had their first exposure to high-risk traffic stops and pedestrian approaches through hands-on practice. Next week, they will be at Ingalls Airfield for the practical portion of emergency-response driving.

04/14/2026

We wanted to let everyone know that the 87th Law Enforcement class is currently in week 15 of their 23-week journey to become Law Enforcement Officers. Throughout their journey, they have covered many aspects of policing, including Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Fi****ms, Defensive Tactics, Use of Force, and Intermediate Weapons, to name just a few.

The 81st Jail Class completed their journey a few weeks ago and have been back at their respective departments putting to work what they have learned over the past 12 weeks. We will see them back in June to officially graduate with the 87th Law Enforcement Class. We wish them the best of luck in their endeavors.

There will be more updates as their weeks come to an end.

04/14/2026

Interview with WDBJ about Use of Force Training.

01/25/2026

The academy will be closed on Monday, January 26, 2026, due to the weather and road conditions. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday at 0800.

11/10/2025

We are pleased to announce the promotion of David J. Cooper from Training Coordinator to Deputy Director. David started his law enforcement career with the Roanoke County Sheriff’s Office in 2002 as a Deputy Sheriff. In 2005 he went to work with the Vinton Police Department where he earned the rank of Master Police Officer. After 4 years with Vinton PD, he went to work for the Salem Police Department. During his time at Salem PD, he worked in the Narcotics Division, Investigations and served as a Sergeant in the Patrol Division. He served on the SWAT Team and became the Commander of the SWAT Team.
David had a distinguished military career. He served with 82nd Airborne from 1997 to 2001. After leaving the active duty he joined the Virginia National Guard where he became a combat veteran. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 to 2005 for Operation Enduring Freedom.
David is a graduate of the National Criminal Justice Command College at the University of Virginia in partnership with the Virginia State Police. He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from American Military University.
David is married to his wife Amy. He has three successful adult children. Sydney, Aiden and Connor.
Please join us, congratulating David on his well-earned promotion.

11/06/2025

Cardinal Academy is HIRING. We are hiring a full time Training Coordinator. You can find the job posting on the City of Salem's website.

11/04/2025

It is with a heavy heart that we learned of the passing of Chief Herbert Cooley. Chief Cooley dedicated his life to serving his communities. He was an integral part of the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy while serving on the board. He touched many lives that he came into contact with and will be greatly missed.
https://www.highcountryservice.com/obituaries/Herbert-Gray-Cooley?obId=46225229&source=fb0&fbclid=IwY2xjawN26YhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHiiqjm1xb-rCN7LEgjciadyZ-3wSTw5rInNDzOqkVSBT5Ptn5LoEh0_TLEYJ_aem_cDPU5bu3uNfiln6H4wQhtQ

View Herbert Gray Cooley's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

10/29/2025

Good morning,

It is with great pride and joy that I announce the promotion of David Scott to Executive Director of our academy, as approved by our Executive Board.

David is a proud graduate of Roanoke College and a distinguished U.S. Army Veteran. He served with honor in the elite 82nd Airborne Division, taking part in Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989 and later serving in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq and Kuwait.

Before joining Cardinal, David worked for the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office, where he was a valued member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
David began his career at Cardinal in 2002 as a Training Coordinator, later advancing to Deputy Director, and now to Executive Director.

Throughout his career, David has proven himself to be a problem solver, a hard charger, and a leader of integrity. His steady moral compass and commitment to excellence have guided him to this point, and I am confident he will lead our academy to even greater success.

David is happily married to his high school sweetheart, Laura, and together they have three wonderful adult daughters, all of whom are either current students or proud graduates of Virginia Tech.

Please join me in congratulating David on this well-deserved promotion and in extending to him the same support and encouragement you have always shown me.

Respectfully, Gary

Gary K. Moore
Executive Director
Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy
917 Central Avenue
Salem, VA 24153
(540)375-3095

07/16/2025

Please join us on Monday, July 28th, 2025, as Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy will host the Ogilvie Challenge to honor the life of Officer Caleb Ogilvie, Covington Police Department. The workout will begin at 0700. All donations will be given directly to the family and will be accepted that morning. We hope to see you there.

06/10/2025

We apologize for the lack of posts, but we have been busy here at Cardinal Academy. This week the 85th Law Enforcement and the 78th Jailor/Court Security Classes are scheduled to graduate at 1pm tomorrow at the Salem Civic Center. We also have the 79th Jail/Court Security doing Fi****ms training this week and began two new classes the 86th Law Enforcement and the 80th Jailor/Court Security Classes.

We would like to congratulate the 85th Law Enforcement and the 78th Jailor/Court Security Class on a job well done. Good luck to you all as you begin your careers in this honorable profession.

We would also like to welcome the 86th Law Enforcement and the 80th Jailor/Court Security Classes as they begin their process to becoming Law Enforcement Professionals. They are currently in their third week of training.

05/05/2025

Last week we completed the Professional Leadership Academy, which is a fantastic 2-week leadership class. We also completed a 3-week Basic Animal Control Class. This was a great group of students, and the instructors Brian Stump, Logan Gossett, and Jessica Hodges did an awesome job with the class. A special thanks to all of the instructors who helped with these outstanding classes.