Fredericksburg Police Chief To Step Down In January

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Chief of Police Brian Layton, who has led the Fredericksburg Police Department since 1994, announced his retirement on Friday, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

“I have been honored to serve the residents, business owners, and visitors of the City of Fredericksburg for the past 31 years,” Layton said. “This department is full of talented, dedicated professionals who care deeply about this community. The progress we’ve made has been the result of teamwork, resilience, and the commitment of our sworn staff, 911 dispatchers, and civilian staff. It has been my greatest privilege to work with them.”

Following three-decades of Layton's leadership, FPD is a more modern and community-focused department, according to a city release. During his tenure, the agency:

• Successfully navigated unprecedented challenges, including the civil unrest of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Modernized departmental operations through new technology, policy updates, and organizational restructuring, including the creation of six new supervisory positions and five additional police officer positions supported by the City Manager’s Office and City Council.
• Achieved national reaccreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2023, as well as national accreditation for the City’s Emergency 911 Center (anticipated November 2025).
• Served as key member of the City Management Executive Leadership Team.
• Led five-year effort to achieve historic public safety compensation and benefit enhancements, strengthening recruitment, retention, and the City’s regional competitiveness.
• Secured and managed more than $6 million in grant funding to expand officer wellness, community programs, and regional training initiatives.
• Launched a Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) pairing law enforcement officers with mental health clinicians to respond to residents in crisis.
• Increased School Resource Officer (SRO) staffing so that all five City schools have an assigned SRO.

“Chief Layton has served this community with integrity, dedication, and unwavering commitment to public safety,” City Manager Timothy Baroody said. “His leadership has left a lasting impact on the police department and the City as a whole. We thank him for his years of service and wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement.”

Beginning Jan. 1, Deputy Chief Betsy Mason will serve as interim chief until a permanent chief chief has been named.

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