Albemarle County Police Chief Sean Reeves, under fire from a local police union over morale issues, has announced his retirement, effective Oct. 1.
Reeves has been on medical leave since May 8. Per a release from county government that went out on Thursday morning, he will remain on leave through the end of his tenure with the PD.
Camille Stewart has been serving as the acting chief, and will continue in that role through Aug. 14, with Randy Jamerson taking on the job on that date.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the people of Albemarle County. Your support, engagement, and partnerships have strengthened our department and helped shape the progress we have made,” Reeves said in a statement highlighted in the release. “You have inspired us to uphold the highest standards of policing, embrace innovation, and build meaningful relationships rooted in transparency and compassion.”
Reeves, a 30-year police veteran, has been a member of the force with the Albemarle County Police Department since 2001, and was elevated to the police chief post in 2022.
A story in The Daily Progress published in June raised issue with the results of an internal survey of employees across the county’s departments conducted by the county government last year, noting issues with morale among both sworn officers and civilian employees in the police department.
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Reeves addressed the results in a four-page memo dated Sept. 17, 2025, in which he noted that “while the tone was more negative than positive, many of the most inflammatory comments likely originated from a small number of individuals. Approximately five officers who provided feedback included personal attacks, which I acknowledge but exclude from shaping policy or culture change.”
The push to bring attention to the survey came from the Central Virginia Police Benevolent Association, a local police union, which is led by Mike Wells, a detective with the Albemarle County PD, who was instrumental in the firing of the first Black woman to be the Charlottesville police chief, RaShall Brackney, in 2021.
Reeves’ medical leave was not related to the media-generated controversy over the survey, per sources.
“Col. Reeves built his impeccable 30-year career on the commitment of serving others. His leadership as chief of police will have a lasting positive impact on Albemarle County,” said Ned Gallaway, the chair of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, in a statement highlighted in the release from the county.
“While we hoped he would be chief for years to come, we wish him the best in the retirement he deserves and has earned. On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, we thank him for his dedicated service to the safety and security of our community,” Gallaway said.
The county government reported in the release that it will begin the recruitment process for a successor in the coming weeks.
“During Sean’s tenure as chief, he has consistently exhibited leadership courage in ways that exemplify the mounting pressures that local government police face every day in our country,” Albemarle County Executive Jeff Richardson said in a statement. “Sean has leaned into data analytics to drive organizational performance and make a case for change, while accepting the realization that resources are finite and local government cannot address every need right now. Sean’s leadership courage has included facing these difficult circumstances both internally and externally and always embracing diversity and employee wellness as core principles. He will be deeply missed as a critical part of our organization’s leadership team.”
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Chris Graham
