There’s a new police chief in town.
Martinsville, Va. Police Chief Sean L. Dunn will succeed the Williamsburg Police Department’s former police chief Dave Sloggie, a City of Williamsburg news release said Thursday.
Dunn, who has 20 years of law enforcement experience, will start June 26 with a salary of $130,000.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to serve the City of Williamsburg,” Dunn said in the release. “Williamsburg is a world-class vacation destination and renown college town. I am committed to community policing and building strong relationships with our residents, students, the business community and visitors. I will be very involved to ensure we are delivering the highest service possible.”
Dunn’s appointment comes just six months after Sloggie retired after 40 years of service with the department. Former Deputy Chief Andrew Barker has served as interim police chief since Sloggie’s retirement at the end of December.
Dunn started his career as a police officer in Portsmouth and worked his way up to the rank of Commander. While with Portsmouth Police, Dunn was responsible for patrol operations, criminal investigations, crime analysis, crime prevention and community policing, the release said.
After working with Portsmouth, he moved on to be police chief at the Martinsville Police Department, the release said.
His work and experience in both Portsmouth and Martinsville showed his commitment to a law enforcement accreditation process through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, which is also used in Williamsburg, the release said.
Dunn also has a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Regent University in Virginia Beach, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police.
“Beyond the exceptional training and experience demonstrated during the assessment center process that will benefit the dedicated officers and command staff of the Police Department, Chief Dunn communicated a commitment to community policing and involvement that matches the community expectations for police leadership to build upon efforts to be responsive, progressive, and engaged with the diverse populations of Williamsburg,” City Manager Marvin Collins said in the release.
Williamsburg hired Developmental Associates, LLC to screen and evaluate candidates for the chief’s position, the release said. During the two-day assessment process, candidates were put through a series of group and individual tasks to evaluate their ability to do certain aspects of the position.
“It measures a broader range of knowledge, skill and abilities and the candidate ratings tend to be more accurate than conventional ratings because the process provides an opportunity for direct observation of behavior in a controlled setting,” the release said.
