NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Steve Drew has been named the new police chief in the city, the city manager announced Thursday.
Drew is currently the deputy chief of patrol operations and business services for the Richmond Police Department. He spent 24 years with the department.
In Newport News, he will oversee a staff of 600 sworn and non-sworn personnel and an annual budget of $49 million.
"Being selected as the next chief of police for the Newport News Police Department is the greatest honor of my career,” said Chief Drew. “I am humbled but also incredibly excited to be selected to lead this excellent organization. The greatest assets we have in this organization are the men and women who serve this community. Community plays a vital role in today’s policing landscape. No organization can succeed without the public’s support. The Newport News Police Department will continue to grow in excellence as it serves this dynamic, historic city."
Drew says he'll be focused on trust and transparency as chief. "We are going to reduce crime in the city," Drew said. "We are not going to allow the criminal element to come in here and prey on the good citizens of Newport News. We are going to be aggressive in reducing crime."
Drew will start as chief on July 2 with an annual salary of $177,000. The former chief, Rick Myers, retired last August.
This week the city saw its tenth homicide of 2018 earlier this week when a 23-year old man was shot and killed on Circuit Lane.
