PETERSBURG, Va. -- Petersburg Police Chief Kenneth Miller announced Tuesday that he will be retiring on November 1 after a 40 year career in law enforcement.
Miller has led for the department for the past three plus years.
His replace will be his Deputy Chief Travis Christian — who Miller says he was grooming to replace him.
“We pushed leadership down to our lower levels, and focused management on our upper levels. Everybody has leadership skills. The police officer on the street, he or she has to be empowered to do their job,” said Miller.
Christian has been with Petersburg Police for seven years and says he wants to focus on community engagement.
“We realize that prevention will always help us in terms of solving crimes and getting ahead of the situation. We’ll continue to, as we always have, being a part of our community," said Christian.
The leadership change announcement came during a ceremony celebrating the department’s accreditation.
Petersburg Police held a news conference Tuesday to announce the departments new full state accreditation status. It's the first time Petersburg Police has received full accreditation in their 210 year history.
Officials say inspectors from the state spent more than a year reviewing the department’s polices and paperwork to achieve it.
According to the VLEPSC, accreditation increases a law enforcement agency’s ability to prevent and control crime through a more efficient delivery of law enforcement services to its community.
Being fully accredited also creates greater access to grants, training, and means more accountability, Miller said.
Speaking of @ChiefPbp, Miller says he is retiring on Nov. 1 after three years leading the department. @TravisChief will assume the new role, vowing to build on community partnerships already established. @CBS6 @WayneCovilCBS6 #petersburg pic.twitter.com/NucChRXYhO
— Jake Burns (@JakeBurnsCBS6) September 29, 2020
