Jeffrey S. Katz talks to news reporters after being introduced as Chesterfield County's new police chief. (Photo by Tina Eshleman)
During a ceremony in front of Chesterfield County's historic 1917 courthouse on Tuesday, Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dorothy Jaeckle and County Administrator Joe Casey introduced Jeffrey S. Katz as the next police chief.
Katz, who will begin his duties Jan. 2, succeeds Col. Thierry G. Dupuis, who retired in September after 38 years with the county, including 10 as chief. Col. Daniel W. Kelly served as police chief in the interim.
A Florida native, Katz has been police chief of the Boynton Beach Police Department in his home state since 2013. Addressing the crowd gathered at the courthouse, Katz said he does not plan to make sweeping changes and that he will hold regular public meetings and open forums to get to know the community.
In making the move to Chesterfield, Katz joins a department with more than 500 officers and 100 other employees, more than twice the size of Boynton's department of 200, and one that handles more than twice as many calls.
After the ceremony, Jaeckle, who served on the selection committee, said that the Springsted consulting firm assisted the county in its search for a new chief. The committee chose five or six to interview, and recommended four of those to the Board of Supervisors.
"I thought he had very strong leadership qualities," she said of Katz. Peers, employees and community members interviewed by the Virginia State Police described him as a good communicator and a strong leader who cares about his officers, Jaeckle said. "That was pretty consistent. He believes it's his job to keep the community engaged."
Katz, 45, began his law enforcement career in 1989. A graduate of the FBI National Academy, he holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University, a master's in business leadership from Nova Southeastern University and he's working toward a doctorate in organizational psychology.
