Chief of Police

The City of Harrisonburg (pop. approximately 56,879). L ocated in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley and one of the fastest-growing cities in Virginia, Harrisonburg is a thriving, multicultural university city and is home to James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University. With recognition as the commonwealth's first culinary district, exciting outdoor recreation activities within the city and nearby, a thriving arts community, and being known as "The Friendly City," there is something for everyone to enjoy.

The Harrisonburg Police Department is searching for a dynamic and forward-thinking Chief of Police to join the Command Staff , which is currently made up of one Interim Chief and interim Bureau Commanders in Special Operations, Patrol Operations, and Administrative. A current organizational chart is available here . This is an exempt, full-time position with benefits and an anticipated hiring range of $115,752.00 - $144,705.60 annually. Find out more information related to this position and the City by viewing the recruitment brochure.

The Harrisonburg Police Department, a VLEPSC-accredited department, protects the constitutional rights of all members of our community and further partners with stakeholders and others to solve problems, reduce crime, and improve the quality of life for community members, visitors, and students.

The candidate selected for this position will report directly to the City Manager and work closely with the Deputy City Manager, Assistant to the City Manager, and all department directors as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. In this role, the Chief is responsible for directing staff, policy development, program planning, fiscal management, and operational and strategic oversight of the department. As a leader within the department, the Chief must be able to motivate and develop others through relationship building while demonstrating a commitment to the ongoing health, wellness, and professional development of department members. The successful candidate is a natural collaborator who will seek out opportunities to improve and enhance the department through partnership with community stakeholders and community members. The ideal Chief is well-versed in policing methods and trends and intentionally introduces emerging technologies and methodologies to support the current and future needs of the department.

A detailed list of essential functions and the ideal candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position is available in the class specification .

• Valid driver's license.
• Bachelor's degree with coursework in criminal justice, police administration, or related field and extensive (6 or more years) experience of a wide and progressively responsible nature in police service, including extensive (6 or more years) supervisory experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be used to meet this requirement.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy, Southern Police Institute, Northwestern School of Police Staff & Command (SPSC), Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), or related executive leadership education, preferred but not required for consideration.
• Certification as a law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth of Virginia within six (6) months of hire date or as deemed appropriate by the City Manager.
• Meet and maintain all department and state training and education requirements for the position.
• Click here to view the physical requirements of this position.

The selected candidate for this position will be subject to the following screenings and must receive satisfactory results:

• DMV driving record review;
• Drug screen;
• Credit history review;
• Psychological evaluation (may be required);
• Education and applicable certification verification;
• Criminal background investigation, including VCIN fingerprinting.

Application Requirements: In order to be considered for this position, applicants must submit the following: City of Harrisonburg online application, resume attachment, cover letter attachment, and 3 professional references. All required fields on the online employment application must be completed, including your education history and work experience. Incomplete applications and applications with verification(s) of no prior education and/or work history will not be considered. (posted on 10/10/2025)

Applicants unable to attach documents via the online application should email the missing documentation to in order to be further considered.

First Review Date: No Sooner Than Wednesday, November 12, 2025. Candidates will not receive an application status update until after this date. Due to the amount of information requested from candidates, please allow a minimum of 10 business days from the first review date to receive a status update.

The City provides an excellent benefits package including health insurance, retirement (VRS Enhanced Hazardous Duty & MissionSquare), life insurance, paid leave and holidays.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or veteran status.

The City of Harrisonburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Compensation details: 05.6 Yearly Salary

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