CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Albemarle County Police Chief Col. Sean Reeves, who has been on medical leave since May 8, has announced his retirement effective Oct. 1, ACPD announced Thursday.

Reeves will conclude a career in public service that has spanned over 30 years, including 25 years with ACPD and four as Chief of Police.

Reeves will remain on approved medical leave until his retirement date. Deputy Chief Camille Stewart will continue as acting chief until Aug. 14, when Deputy Chief of Operations Randy Jamerson will assume the role.

The county will begin the recruitment process for a successor “in the coming weeks.”

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

Reeves started his career with ACPD as a patrol officer in 2001 and advanced through roles in investigations, professional standards, and community support before becoming Chief of Police.

He played a crucial role in several ACPD priority projects, including the creation of the cybercrimes unit, the development of a community coalition around mental health crisis repsonse, the advancement of the body-worn camera program and acting as ACPD’s lead personnel in the county’s incident management teams for COVID-19 and the Unite the Right rally in 2017.

“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,” Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Chair Ned Gallaway said in a statement. “On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, we thank him for his dedicated service to the safety and security of our community.”

During his tenure as Chief of Police, 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.

“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.”