Col. Sean Reeves formally sworn in as new chief of police in Albemarle County

Albemarle County commemorated the promotion of Col. Sean Reeves as the sixth Chief of Albemarle County Police Department with a swearing-in ceremony Tuesday evening.

Reeves will be the first Albemarle County police chief to have begun his local law enforcement career with the department, as well as the first in ACPD history to be both a veteran and a member of the Latin American community.

“It is rare to find an individual who is able to develop and grow from the entry level to the top rank at the same organization. It is testament to Col. Reeve’s dedication and professionalism to our the department, the organization, and to this community, and I am delighted that he will lead the Albemarle County Police Department with honor and distinction,” said County Executive Jeff Richardson.

Reeves briefly served ACPD in 2001 before he was called back to active duty with the United States Army, where he served prior to his recruitment to ACPD. Reeves returned to ACPD in 2003, and since that time, has served the Albemarle community as a patrol officer, detective, SWAT team operator, Honor Guard member, Internal Affairs investigator, in several supervisory roles, and as a community liaison with the local Latinx population. Most recently, Reeves served as deputy chief of police overseeing the Operations Bureau.

“I have been given the important responsibility of leading one of the premiere police departments in the Commonwealth of Virginia – a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” Reeves said. “To the members of our community, know that the Albemarle County Police Department will continue our mission of providing for the safety and security of all people, while protecting individual rights and building trust in our diverse community.

Reeves has played a pivotal role in several ACPD priority projects, including creating the cybercrimes unit, developing a community coalition around mental health crisis response, advancing the body-worn camera program, and serving as the lead ACPD representative in the county’s incident management teams for COVID-19, the At Ready Statue Removal, and the events of Aug. 12.

In addition to Reeves’s promotion, eight other ACPD officers were promoted to new leadership roles within the department. These promotions provide new perspectives to established positions within the department. It also provides continued and varied experiences for these officers to develop as leaders and forge new relationships with the people of Albemarle County.

“The men and women of the Albemarle County Police Department put themselves in danger each day to keep our community safe, and I thank all of our officers and their families for their service,” shared Donna Price, chair of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.

The nine police officers promoting to their new leadership roles:

• Terry Walls will be promoted to the rank of major and serve as the deputy chief of police, responsible for the Operations Bureau.
• Miller Stoddard will be promoted to the rank of major and serve as the assistant chief of police, responsible for the Administrative Bureau.
• Randy Jamerson will be promoted to the rank of captain and serve as the commander of Special Operations Division.
• Kevin Miller will be promoted to the rank of captain and serve as the Patrol Division commander.
• First Sgt. Matt Powers will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant and serve as the commander of Internal Affairs.
• First Sergeant Jeremy Wood will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and serve as the Deputy Commander of Special Operations Division.
• Officer George Viera will be promoted to the rank of Sergeant and serve on Patrol Division.
• Officer McCoy Loya will be promoted to the rank of Sergeant and serve on Patrol Division.