The Gate and the POA Rules in Aquia Harbour
How do the Aquia Harbour gate, private police and POA rules work?
Aquia Harbour has a staffed front gate on Washington Drive with a resident decal lane and a visitor lane; guests are checked against the Gate Sentry list residents keep. Its own private police department, established in 1977, patrols the private roads 24 hours a day under an agreement with the Stafford County Sheriff's Office.
Sources: AHPOA, Gated Access (2026); Aquia Harbour Police Department (Oct 2026); AHPD, Memorandum of Understanding (2025).
Why is Aquia Harbour gated, and how do guests, deliveries and contractors get in?
Residents drive through a decal-only lane. Everyone else uses the visitor lane, where the guard checks the Gate Sentry list: residents add guests, vendors and deliveries in the app or online, upload party lists, or call the gate. Residents can also add unwanted visitors to a banned list.
- Front gate
- 1000 Washington DriveCall-in line 540-659-5224
- Guests
- Gate Sentry app or gatesentry.comLogin from memberservices@aquiaharbour.org
- Decal
- One per registered vehicleValid through 31 Mar 2027 · replacement $10 · hang tag $20
- No decal in the decal lane
- Reported to police
Sources: AHPOA, Gated Access (2026); AHPD, FAQs (2026).
Where is the back gate, and who can use it?
The back gate opens only for residents' RFID decals: enter at 800 Decatur Road, exit at 3242 Titanic Drive. Guests and delivery drivers are turned away there and sent to the front gate, so the POA suggests giving them the front-gate address first. In bad snow, Richmond Drive and the back gate may close.
- Enter
- 800 Decatur RoadResident RFID only
- Exit
- 3242 Titanic Drive
- RFID decal
- $15Replacement or new vehicle
- Snow
- May closeUse John Paul Jones Drive
Sources: AHPOA, FAQ (2026); AHPOA, Gated Access (2026); AHPOA, Emergency Information (2026).
What can the Aquia Harbour Police do, and who answers a 911 call?
The Aquia Harbour Police Department is a private department established in 1977 that operates under Virginia Code § 9.1-101, with nine officers plus gate guards on duty around the clock. Because the roads are designated highways for law enforcement, its officers enforce traffic laws inside the gate. A 2025 agreement with the Stafford County Sheriff's Office says certain incidents remain primarily the Sheriff's.
Who answers a 911 call inside the gate isn't stated on the department's pages; the full agreement is a PDF we're getting.
- Department
- Private police, est. 19771040 Aquia Drive · (540) 659-4600
- Authority
- Va. Code § 9.1-101MOU with Stafford Sheriff, 2025
- Roads
- Private, enforced as highwaysVa. Code § 46.2-1307; Stafford Code 15-3
- Staffing
- 9 officers + gate guards, 24/7Chief Bryan Cameron
- Training
- 20-week academy + 320-hr field trainingRappahannock Regional CJ Academy
Sources: Aquia Harbour Police Department (Oct 2026); AHPD, FAQs (2026); AHPD, Memorandum of Understanding (2025); AHPOA, New Members (2026).
Where do you find crime reports for inside the gate?
The police department posts weekly activity on its home page; for the week of 4–11 September 2026 it logged 99 calls for service and 19 summonses. Individual police reports are free through a FOIA request, and there is no online crime reporting.
- Weekly activity
- Posted on aquiaharbourpd.orgWeek of 4–11 Sep 2026: 99 calls, 19 summonses
- Reports
- Free by FOIA requestOnline form or in person
Sources: Aquia Harbour Police Department (Oct 2026); AHPD, FAQs (2026).
How do code violations work?
A homeowner who gets a violation notice emails the Code Violation Officer (cvo@aquiaharbour.org) with a plan to fix it. The POA's due-process resolution for enforcement cases is posted with its governing documents.
- Contact
- cvo@aquiaharbour.org
- Process
- Due Process in Enforcement CasesResolution 03-1204
Sources: AHPOA, FAQ (2026); AHPOA, Forms & Documents (2026).
Where are the bylaws, covenants and resale packet?
The Restrictions & Covenants, the Bylaws (revised 2024), the Articles of Incorporation and the board's resolutions (parking, leases, signs, amenity classes) are posted on the POA's Forms & Documents page. A resale disclosure packet is requested from the POA with its 2026 form.
- Governing documents
- Covenants, Bylaws (2024), ArticlesPosted publicly
- Resale packet
- Requested from the POA2026 request form
Sources: AHPOA, Forms & Documents (2026).
What's the trade-off?
A gate and a private police force mean every guest, contractor and delivery has to be on your list or called in, and map apps sometimes send visitors to the back gate, which turns them away. In exchange, the roads are patrolled and traffic is enforced inside the community around the clock.
Sources: AHPOA, Gated Access (2026); AHPD, FAQs (2026).