VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Chief of Police Jim Cervera has officially announced that he will retire on May 1.
He was appointed Chief in September of 2010 and took the oath in Virginia Beach in 1978.
In a letter, Chief Cervera said in part, "While this is an emotional time for me and I leave with many memories of almost 42 years with the Department, and City, I also leave with a sense of pride in who you are and in what you will continue to do for our City and Country."
The city said on his bio page that "He has been instrumental in developing and implementing the city's gang prevention program. He authored and secured a series of grants for a community policing program, then coordinated and supervised its implementation. He also introduced the COMPSTAT program to the department, which uses GIS technology to map crime and identify problems, brings precinct commanders together to discuss the problems and devise strategies to solve those problems and to reduce crime."
Before serving in Virginia Beach, Chief Cervera served in New Jersey.
