Albemarle County Police Chief Sean Reeves Announces Retirement

Albemarle County Police Chief Sean Reeves has announced his retirement, effective October 1, 2026. His decision will conclude a distinguished career with more than 30 years of public service, including 25 years with the Albemarle County Police Department, with four as Chief of Police. Colonel Reeves will remain on approved medical leave until that date. Deputy Chief Stewart will continue in the acting chief role until August 14, 2026, when Deputy Chief Jamerson will assume the role.

"Colonel 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. While we hoped he would be chief for years to come, we wish him the best in the retirement he deserves and has earned," shared Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Chair Ned Gallaway. "On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, we thank him for his dedicated service to the safety and security of our community."

“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,” stated Albemarle County Executive Jeff Richardson. “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.”

Colonel Reeves began his career as a police officer with Albemarle County in 2001 and advanced from Patrol Officer to Chief of Police by steadily advancing through roles in investigations, professional standards, and community support. Before becoming ACPD’s sixth Chief of Police, Colonel Reeves 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 personnel in the County’s incident management teams for COVID-19, the At Ready Statue Removal, and the events of August 12. 

Colonel Reeves has worked closely with the community throughout his service, including liaising with the local Latinx population through the Community ID Card program, bike safety events, Cville Sabroso Festival, and other community events. 

During his tenure as Chief of Police, Colonel Reeves modernized law enforcement practices to meet the needs of the growing community, championed initiatives to attract and retain high-quality police officers, updated departmental policies and procedures to improve service delivery, and established an employee wellness program to ensure ACPD officers have access to the resources they need to effectively respond to calls for service and sustain long-term careers in law enforcement.

Reeves provided key leadership in launching the Human Services Alternative Response Team (HART), establishing the County's co-response model to behavioral health crises through collaboration between law enforcement, fire rescue, and social services professionals.

Under his leadership, ACPD also advanced transparency by making departmental policies publicly available online and implemented improvements identified through the state accreditation process, resulting in the department's successful reaccreditation.

Throughout his career with Albemarle County, Reeves worked with local, regional, state, and federal partners on public safety initiatives, including participation in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program to address violent crime.

“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,” shared Colonel Reeves. “You have inspired us to uphold the highest standards of policing, embrace innovation, and build meaningful relationships rooted in transparency and compassion.”

Albemarle County will begin the recruitment process for a successor in the coming weeks.

A Message from Chief of Police Sean Reeves

To the Albemarle County Community,

After careful reflection, I have made the decision to retire from the Albemarle County Police Department. Serving as your Chief of Police for the past four and a half years has been the greatest honor of my professional life. It has been the culmination of a 30-year journey in public service — beginning as a Military Police Officer in the United States Army from 1996 to 2001, joining the Albemarle County Police Department in 2001, deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2002 to 2003, and culminating in 25 years of protecting and serving this community.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the people of Albemarle County. Your support, engagement, and partnership have strengthened our department and helped shape the progress we have made together. Over the years, we have faced some of the most challenging moments in our agency’s 40‑plus‑year history, and your trust and collaboration have been essential in guiding us through them. You have inspired us to uphold the highest standards of policing, embrace innovation, and build meaningful relationships rooted in transparency and compassion.

I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to County Executive Jeff Richardson, Deputy County Executive Trevor Henry, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, and the Albemarle County Police Foundation. Their leadership, guidance, and steadfast support have been instrumental in our success. They stood with us through every challenge, empowered us to grow, and ensured that ACPD had the resources, trust, and stability needed to serve this community with excellence.

As I prepare for my retirement, I do so with immense pride in what we have accomplished together. We have increased staffing, enhanced employee compensation, expanded community partnerships, modernized technology, improved transparency, and invested deeply in officer wellness and professional development. These achievements reflect the dedication of the men and women of ACPD—and the unwavering support of this community.

My retirement effective date will be October 1, 2026, and I will remain on medical leave until that date. I want to thank Deputy Chief Stewart for stepping into the acting chief role. Deputy Chief Jamerson will assume the acting role effective on August 14, 2026.

I leave this department confident in its future. ACPD is strong, capable, resilient, and committed to the mission of protecting and serving with honor. The foundation we have built together will continue to carry this department forward for years to come.

Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your support throughout my career. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve this community.

With respect and gratitude,

Colonel Sean Reeves
Chief of Police