Chesterfield County swore in its first African American police chief Tuesday, as Edward F. “Frank” Carpenter Jr. was sworn in during a ceremony at the Beulah Recreation Center.

The event officially recognized Carpenter’s new role, with county leaders, officials and law enforcement in attendance.

However, he already has been serving in the position for the past two weeks, following his announcement as chief on Oct. 30. So far, he has described the experience as positive.

“I’ve been treated, both internally and externally, so overwhelmingly with support,” he said.

Carpenter’s selection marks the latest milestone in his nearly 25-year career with the CCPD. He now leads an organization of more than 500 sworn officers and over 100 civilian staff.

Carpenter, a Charlottesville native, is the ninth chief in the department’s history, which was founded in 1914. He is married with two children and graduated from the University of Virginia with a master’s in public safety and from the FBI National Academy in Quantico.

 Col. Edward F. Carpenter Jr. gives remarks after being sworn in as the Chesterfield County Police Department’s ninth police chief.
 

Carpenter said his approach as chief is defined in large part by the groundwork laid by CCPD, its leaders and community partners over the years.

This includes moving away from a heavy officer presence throughout the county and toward strategies like crime prevention through education, collaboration, providing resources and other methods of public engagement.

Carpenter made clear that CCPD operations will continue as it has under previous police chiefs, including a case-by-case policy on how body camera footage is handled and keeping information on employee’s names and salaries hidden to ensure its undercover work can continue.

Despite the controversy and legal challenges some of these policies have garnered, Carpenter said transparency and accountability is a priority for CCPD.

The chief identified vehicle-related crimes and pedestrian safety as key challenges to address in 2025, with solutions focused on community education, resources and infrastructure improvements. Public school safety along with officer recruitment and retention also remain ongoing concerns.

Carpenter has emphasized that he does not want his tenure as CCPD chief to be defined solely by being the first African-American to attain the rank. Instead, he believes his “diversity of thought” and commitment to service are the unique qualities he brings to the department and the community.

“The bottom line is, I care and I want to serve the community and it doesn’t really matter, the color of my skin,” he said. “It is significant, but I don’t want it to overshadow the work that still needs to be done.”