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Culpeper Names New Police Chief
Christopher Settle has been promoted to Police Chief, replacing Chris Jenkins who retired in January.
Settle was selected from a pool of internal candidates. The recruitment process included an interview with the Town Manager, Public Services Director, and Human Resources Director.
“It's an honor to be named only the 6th Police Chief in the department's 67 year history. The Culpeper Police Department is committed to following the leadership and direction of Chief Jenkins and will continue to serve our community in any way we can. It is a privilege to serve alongside the men and women of the Culpeper Police Department, where we will continue to strive for excellence to protect victims, offer resources, and engage with all segments of our community. I want to thank everyone who continues to support the Culpeper Police Department as we look forward to working with our citizens and our community stakeholders.” said Settle.
Settle has been with the Culpeper Police Department since 1997 and has held the rank of Major since 2015.
Town Manager Chris Hively said “It has been an honor and privilege to work with an amazing police department with such dedicated and talented employees. Chief Jenkins did an amazing job leading the police department to where it is today, and I am fully confident in Chief Settle taking the baton and leading the department to new heights as we move into the future.”
Settle holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Radford University and will be completing a master's degree in public safety from the University of Virginia in May 2023.
During his career, Settle has had the opportunity to work in a variety of areas within the police department including patrol, investigations, and the narcotics and gang task force. He has also served as the accreditation manager for the department. He has attended the Department of Forensic Science Training Academy, the VACP's Institute on Leadership in Changing Times, and the VACP's Professional Executive Leadership School at the University of Richmond.
Settle and his wife, Kelsey, have two sons, Harrison and Grant.
