RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has appointed Acting Chief William C. Smith as the Interim Chief of Police following the retirement of Chief Alfred Durham on Dec. 31.
Chief Smith, 50, will run the department until a permanent chief of police is selected.
“Chief Smith is an experienced law enforcement professional who brings a sense of duty and an analytical approach to his work,” said Mayor Stoney. “He understands the unique demands and responsibilities of this important job, and I have confidence in his ability to manage the Richmond Police Department during this transition period.”
Smith began his law enforcement career with Richmond Police in 1995 and has risen through the ranks of the department over a 23-year career.
Most recently, he was promoted to Deputy Chief and then designated as Acting Chief of Department by Chief Durham.
Other titles he has held includes: Lieutenant in 2003, captain in 2007 and major in 2016, Chief of Staff for the Richmond Police Department (2017).
“I’m grateful to Mayor Stoney and Chief Administrative Officer Selena Cuffee-Glenn for this opportunity to lead,” said Chief Smith. “I look forward to continuing the important work of the Richmond Police Department as a community policing organization.”
Chief Smith is also a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science degree. He is also a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership School at the University of Richmond, as well as the Senior Management Institute for Police in Boston.
