Saluting Chief Charlie Deane

Prince William County Police Chief Charlie Deane will retire September 1.  While it saddens us that he is leaving, we wish him much happiness in his retirement.   Chief Deane has served Prince William County’s police department 42 years,  since 1970, when he came here as a detective, from the State Police Department.  24 of those years have been as Police Chief.    He  is one of the longest serving officers in the State of Virginia and  he has  achieved national respect and recognition.

The Prince William County Police Department has gone from a fledgling police department  that began July 1, 1970 in a growing suburban county to a force with 580 sworn officers with a support staff of over 300 civilians.    Not only is Chief Deane well liked and respected locally, his professional reputation extends throughout the country.  His shoes will be hard to fill.

Chief Deane has been involved with all of our tough cases.  Perhaps the most notable has been  the  D. C. sniper case which unfortunately crept into Prince William County when Dean Meyers became one of the snipers’ victims as he attempted to gas up  his car off of Sudley Road in PWC.   For three long weeks the eyes of a nation were locked on our area.  A second nationally involved case was that of the East Coast rapist.  That case has not yet gone to trial.

Chief Deane  drew national attention also over the immigration debate in 2007 and 2008.  Once again, Deane’s professional training and his instincts kept him above the political fray and he relied on his judgement and reputation to see the county and its leaders through a tough time.  According to the Washington Post:

When the Prince William Board of County Supervisors jumped into the national immigration debate in 2007 and became one of the first places in the country to require the police department to question residents about their immigration status, Chief Charlie T. Deane thought otherwise.

He feared cries of racial profiling and losing the trust of the county’s growing immigrant community. His stance angered his bosses on the county board and many residents who thought he was flouting the law. But Deane, who announced his retirement on Wednesday, used his decades of goodwill to persuade the board to change its policy. The department would check a person’s immigration status only after an arrest.

“When this was forced on us, we had no experience with it, and there were legal and moral implications,” Deane said. “I saw from the beginning that the safest course for this county was to do the screening post-arrest. . . . We are responsible for providing police services to everyone, regardless of their status.”

Deane has earned a national reputation for the same straightforward approach he displayed during the immigration debate and for calm during crisis — hallmarks of his 24-year tenure as chief in Prince William. A firm, Southern gentleman, Deane has led his department through monumental change in both the county and in policing, maintaining his country sensibilities while facing the challenges of a modern, fast-growing community.

When he retires, Chief Deane will fish, travel, and spend time on his family farm in Orange County.  There is nothing better than autumn in Central Virginia!  We wish him the best.  He has earned it.   Chief Deane, we salute you, Sir!  thanks for a job well-done.

UPDATE:  Eric Byler is preparing a digital retirement card.  CLICK HERE  to sign and thank Chief Deane for his years of service to Prince William County.