NORFOLK, Va. — Interim Chief of Police and Deputy City Manager Michael G. Goldsmith will retire from the City of Norfolk effective April 14.
An announcement on a new chief is expected soon, and depending upon when that person is available to start, there is a possibility another interim chief may briefly be in place, according to Chris Jones with the City of Norfolk.
“Mike has served our community dutifully for 34 years. His impact on safety in Norfolk and our region cannot be overstated. I am deeply grateful for his steadfast leadership over an honorable public service career, and particularly for serving as Interim Police Chief for the last year during a critical period in our city,” said Norfolk City Manager Dr. Chip Filer.
Goldsmith began his public service career as a Norfolk Police Officer in February 1989, rising through the ranks to serve as a captain for several years, the city described in a news release on Friday morning.
He was later Chief of Police for more than five years, split between two tenures as "Norfolk’s top cop".
During his 27-year career with the police department, the city says Goldsmith expanded training opportunities for officers, and implemented national best practices for fair and impartial policing.
The city says he also spearheaded the creation of the department's Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and enriched the partnership with the Norfolk Community Services Board.
Goldsmith worked collaboratively to enhance the City’s Neighbors Building Neighborhoods program and bolstered local community-policing efforts.
Under his leadership, the Norfolk Police Department received its first national accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
He also served on several regional and national law enforcement boards, and was the law enforcement subject matter expert at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Urbanization Experiment held at the NATO Defense College based in Rome, Italy.
Goldsmith was first appointed Norfolk’s Chief of Police in June 2012. He stepped away from the department in December 2016 to become one of Norfolk’s Deputy City Managers with oversight of several departments including the Community Services Board.
He was instrumental in the City’s creation of The Center, a municipally owned and operated homeless shelter, and helped develop Norfolk’s Healthy Hotel Program that assisted residents and local health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Goldsmith was later reappointed to serve as Interim Chief of Police in April 2022.
