Lynchburg Police Chief Charles W. Bennett, Jr. to Retire

November 29, 2007 | VACP

Former VACP President will retire May 1, 2008, completing 40 years of law enforcement service

City Manager Kimball Payne announced today that he has been notified by Chief of Police Charles W. Bennett, Jr. of his plans to retire from the Lynchburg Police Department effective May 1, 2008. Colonel Bennett has served as Chief since his appointment by the previous City Manager Charles Church in 1994. Prior to that he served for 26 years in the Richmond Police Department, attaining the rank of Deputy Chief. With his planned retirement, Colonel Bennett will complete 40 years of law enforcement service.

In announcing Colonel Bennett’s retirement, Payne expressed his appreciation for the Chief’s dedicated service to the citizens of Lynchburg.

Payne said, “I thank Colonel Bennett for his leadership, professionalism, and dedication in service to this community over the last fourteen years. Chuck has been a valuable member of the City’s Leadership Team and I wish him the best in whatever he decides to do next.” Payne indicated that the process of selecting a new Chief of Police would start immediately and would involve a national search.

Colonel Bennett’s tenure as Chief of Police has been one of both achievement and challenge. Bennett led the department through four national reaccreditations by the Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. The department was last reaccredited with merit in 2005 (a department may be reaccredited every 3 years). Colonel Bennett has focused on community policing with extensive personnel training and involvement in community problem solving; and, in recent years, the City has experienced historically low crime rates.

Colonel Bennett has been involved in a number of other initiatives including renovations to improve department workspace in both Police Headquarters and the West Building, the development of a Leadership Development Program for the department, implementation of the K-9 Unit, Traffic Safety Unit and Bicycle Patrol, and the Citizen’s Police Academy. Colonel Bennett is quick to point out that he did none of those things alone, stating, “Every single one of these initiatives involved the thought, creativity, and hard work of many talented people. It was my good fortune to have such good people to work with.”

Payne described the initial steps that he will take to fill the position including conducting a national search for the best individual to lead the Lynchburg Police Department. As a first step, Payne will conduct a series of meetings with community stakeholders to seek input on issues facing the Lynchburg Police Department and the qualifications and desired characteristics of the individual who will lead the department in addressing the issues. He will also be meeting with community leaders, interested citizens, members of the Police Department, the City’s Leadership Team, and City Council to listen to their opinions and thoughts. “I intend to seek input from a broad spectrum of this community and I hope that anyone who is interested in this process will take advantage of the opportunities to voice their opinions” said Payne.

After community input is received the City Manager will revise the current job description as appropriate, create a recruitment profile, and conduct a national search through various media. The process of reviewing applications, selecting candidates for follow up, and conducting interviews will be finalized after the community meetings.

A link has been created on the City’s website to allow citizens to provide input into the process of recruiting a new Chief of Police. The link can be accessed at www.lynchburgva.gov.