Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire honored his 15 predecessors this week with the unveiling of a wall of their portraits.
In the city’s history, there have only ever been 16 police chiefs, and McGuire said the wall recognizes the men who sat in his seat.
“It’s understanding the history of the department,” McGuire told ALXnow. “I think it’s a part of police culture. You’ll see former chiefs’ photos hanging in a lot of police stations, and it’s just about recognizing that legacy.”
The wall was unveiled this week, with a number of former chiefs in attendance.
The conference room is one of many rooms that have undergone recent renovations at police headquarters.
McGuire said the wall has been in the works since January, and that the department will soon add a wall of portraits recognizing APD officers who served in the U.S. military.
Alexandria’s police chiefs:
- Captain James Webster — 1870 to 1906
- Chief Charles Tudor Goods — 1906 to 1923
- Chief Haywood Durrer — 1923 to 1925
- Chief William W. Campbell — 1925 to 1931
- Chief John S. Arnold — 1931 to 1947
- Chief Edgar Sims — 1947 to 1952
- Chief Russell A. Hawes — 1952 to 1970
- Chief John B. Holihan — 1970 to 1977
- Chief Charles T. Strobel — 1977 to 1987
- Chief Gary J. Leonard — 1988 to 1990
- Chief Charles E. Samarra — 1990 to 2006
- Chief David Baker — 2006 to 2009
- Chief Earl Cook — 2009 to 2016
- Chief Michael L. Brown — 2017 to 2021
- Chief Don Hayes — 2021 to 2024
