RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Rick Edwards is scheduled to be officially sworn into duty as Richmond’s Chief of Police at 3 p.m.
Edwards had filled the role of Acting Chief for nearly nine months, since October 2022, after the resignation of former-Police Chief Gerald Smith. It was formally announced Edwards had been chosen for the permanent role on Wednesday, July 19, after a months-long nationwide search to fill the vacancy.
“After numerous interviews, community surveys, and conversations with partners and stakeholders, Rick stood out among all the applicants,” said Lincoln Saunders, the City of Richmond’s Chief Administrative Officer in a statement. “He brings decades of experience to this role and has a solid reputation throughout the region. We are excited about his leadership and his commitment to further improving our community.”
The swearing-in ceremony took place at Richmond City Hall at 3 p.m. in the second-floor Council Chamber.
In one of his first official acts as Police Chief, Edwards presented the 2023 second quarter Richmond Crime Briefing Thursday, July 20. More details on the briefing can be found here.
Edwards, who has been part of the department for over two decades, shared on Monday that he feels confident taking on his new role due to his knowledge of the community and his history with the police force.
“I know the city, I know the crime. And I know the challenges that we faced historically,” Edwards said. “So, it’s to help guiding us along with my team and setting a plan so that we can make Richmond safer.”
Edwards has already dealt with some daunting challenges during his time as interim chief, including handling a mass shooting at the Huguenot High School graduation in June.
“He performed at a very, very high level, when there’s a time of panic, there’s a time of crisis, people tend to, you know, make decisions that are out of the norm that can unfortunately sometimes be reckless, but he’s had a cool head the entire time,” Mayor Levar Stoney said.
While Edwards has not had a smooth ride to his current position, he believes he can overcome any obstacles thrown at him because of what he faced in the past year.
“The last nine months have been incredibly challenging. We’ve faced all kinds of things. So, from the staffing, crunch to crime, to a mass shooting, to a shooting at a hospital to a shooting at a school,” Edwards said. “So, all of these things coupled with all the challenges of the day to day operation of any large organization, I think I’ve been put through the test in many ways, and come out the other side.”
