On January 1, 1994, Robert J. McCabe became Sheriff of the City of Norfolk.

In February of the same year, Sheriff McCabe made several innovative changes in training. He assembled a training staff and notified them that Sheriff's deputies would no longer attend the Hampton Roads Regional Academy of Criminal Justice effective July 1, 1994. This meant that the Norfolk Sheriff's Academy would have to be fully operational by that date.

Norfolk Sheriff's Office
Training Academy Staff

(L-R) Instructor, Master Deputy Daniel O'Donnell;
Instructor, Corporal Angela Bacon;
Commanding Officer, Major Larry Carter;
Instructor, Lieutenant Amy Flowers;
Executive Officer, Captain Patrick Dunn.
.

On May 2, 1994, two months ahead of schedule,
the Norfolk Sheriff's Office Training Academy was certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services as a full-fledged independent training academy capable of basic training for Jailers, Court Security, Civil Process and In-service for the same. On September 30, 1994, Academy Class 9401 was the first session to graduate from the newly established Training Academy.

On April 16, 1999, the Norfolk Sheriff's Office Training Academy was certified  to conduct a Law Enforcement Academy by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. It is the first Academy in the Commonwealth of Virginia to be Law Enforcement certified under the new standards effective July 1, 1999.

On May 4, 2004, the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Training Academy successfully complied with all standards for re-certification.