Alexandria Police Department
Common nameAlexandria Police
AbbreviationAPD
Agency overview
Formed1870
Employees475
Volunteers80[1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionAlexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Map of Alexandria Police Department's jurisdiction
Size15.4 square miles (40 km2)
Population155,810
Legal jurisdictionAlexandria, Virginia
Governing bodyCity
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersAlexandria, Virginia
Police Officers323
Civilian employees152
Agency executive
Website
alexandriava.gov/police

The Alexandria Police Department (APD) is the primary law enforcement agency servicing 155,810[2] people within 15.4 square miles (40 km2) of jurisdiction within Alexandria, Virginia. The APD has been internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) since 1986, and was re-accredited in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016.[3] The APD has 315 sworn officers and 152 civilian employees. New officers are trained at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.[4]

City of Alexandria police officers have jurisdiction of Virginian crimes and crimes legislated by the City of Alexandria local government.[5] Physical jurisdiction extends one mile into neighboring jurisdictions of Arlington County and Fairfax County.[6]

History

An Alexandria police cruiser

Night watchmen and constables were employed by the city since 1797 with the starting pay of $150 annually.[7]

The Alexandria Police Department was founded on July 15, 1870. When the city authorized a formal police department, the board of police elected a captain, a lieutenant, and 19 patrolmen. All officers were issued star-shaped tin badges, but they had to supply their own uniforms and guns.[7]

In 1918, the Alexandria Police Department founded the Motor Unit with the purchase of one Harley-Davidson motorcycle for use in answering emergency calls.[8]

On September 11, 2001 the Alexandria Police Department responded to the Pentagon in response to the September 11 attacks as mutual aid to support the Arlington County Police Department, the jurisdiction in which the attacks occurred.[9]

In 2009, then Deputy Chief Earl L. Cook became the first African-American Chief of Police in Alexandria replacing Chief David P. Baker.[10]

Headquarters of the Alexandria Police Department

In November, 2011, construction was completed on their current headquarters in the West End section of Alexandria, on Wheeler Avenue immediately south of Duke Street.[11]

On October 1, 2016 Chief Earl Cook retired after 37 years and Deputy Chief David Huchler was appointed Interim Chief of Police while the IACP searched for a replacement.[12] On January 16 Michael L. Brown, former Chief of Police for the California Highway Patrol was announced as the successor to Earl Cook.

The department responded to shots fired on June 14, 2017 to a quiet Del Ray neighborhood. Officers from both Alexandria and the United States Capitol Police shot and killed James Hodgkinson after a 10-minute gun battle with the assailant, an event that became known as the Congressional baseball shooting. Hodgkinson was attempting to kill Republican congressmen who were practicing on the Monroe Street baseball field for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. Three officers from the Alexandria Police Department received the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor on July 27, 2017, in recognition of their heroism during the shooting.[13] The Medal of Valor is the highest decoration for bravery exhibited by public safety officers in the United States.

In June, 2021, Chief Michael Brown retired and Asst. Chief Don Hayes was named Acting Chief. Acting Chief Don Hayes was appointed Chief in April, 2022.[14]

In December, 2021, the police department reported having trouble hiring and retaining staff and officers due to pay being not competitive with other nearby police agencies.[15]

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Alexandria Police Department, 17 officers have died in the line of duty.[16] Charles and Clarence McClary were brothers.

Officer Date of Death Details
Constable Elijah Chenault
Monday, August 4, 1823
 Assault
Watchman Gerrard Arnold
Sunday, September 9, 1827
 Assault
Private Julian F. Arnold
Sunday, May 15, 1887
 Gunfire
Private George W. Crump
Thursday, December 28, 1893
 Gunfire (Accidental)
Private Walker W. Campbell
Sunday, February 16, 1919
 Gunfire
Sergeant Elton B. Hummer
Saturday, August 18, 1928
 Gunfire
Sergeant Charles R. McClary
Thursday, June 20, 1929
 Gunfire
Private Whitfield W. Lipscombe
Thursday, September 4, 1930
 Automobile accident
Private August Perault Pierce
Sunday, September 7, 1930
 Gunfire
Corporal Clarence J. McClary
Sunday, March 17, 1935
 Gunfire
Private Robert B. Harris
Saturday, September 11, 1948
 Gunfire
Private Bobby G. Padgett
Wednesday, February 4, 1959
 Gunfire
Deputy Inspector James W. Baber
Friday, October 19, 1962
 Heart attack
Private Eugene Yoakum
Sunday, September 27, 1964
 Gunfire
Detective Conrad Lee Birney
Wednesday, December 27, 1972
 Gunfire
Corporal Charles William Hill
Wednesday, March 22, 1989
 Gunfire
Sergeant Morton "Morty" Ford
Saturday, June 18, 2011
 Duty related illness

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Investigations Bureau". Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Alexandria city, Virginia (County); UNITED STATES". Census Bureau QuickFacts. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "CALEA Client Database". 15 June 2016. Archived from the original on 30 September 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. "A Message from the Executive Director". Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "Municode Library". library.municode.com. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  6. ↑ "§ 19.2-250. How far jurisdiction of corporate authorities extends". law.lis.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  7. 1 2 Alexandria Police Association (2006). Alexandria Police Department. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 9780738543406.
  8. ↑ Hildebrandt, Ashley. "Alexandria Police Department Celebrates 90th Anniversity (sic)". Police Motor Units. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "Sept. 11, 2001: Del Ray Remembers". Del Ray, VA Patch. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  10. ↑ Klein, Allison (12 September 2009). "Onetime Titan is Now Chief of Alexandria's Police Department". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  11. ↑ "Alexandria Police Unveil New Headquarters". 10 November 2011.
  12. ↑ "Chief Cook Retires | Recent News". alexandriapolicefoundation.org. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
  13. ↑ "Officers who responded to Alexandria baseball shooting receive Medal of Valor". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-07-30.
  14. ↑ Duggan, Paul (19 April 2022). "Acting police chief in Alexandria, VA.,chosen to head department". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  15. ↑ Weiner, Rachel; Armus, Teo (17 December 2021). "Alexandria is struggling to keep up pay for first responders. They say it's straining emergency response". Washington Post. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "Alexandria Police Department, VA". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Retrieved 9 October 2021.
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