BEDFORD, Va. – Chief Ronnie Lewis was sworn in Monday as Bedford’s new top cop.
He has nearly three decades of experience in public safety, first serving Lynchburg’s fire department, then the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, and most recently as a captain with the Fairfax Police Department.
“It’s a great honor for me to have the opportunity to do this position, to do this job, to serve the Town of Bedford and the department. It hasn’t quite set in yet, but it’s a great honor,” said Lewis.
The Lynchburg native is replacing former Bedford Police Chief Todd Foreman.
“The advice I have for him is just to be patient and calm with the community and build the relationships within members of the community,” said Foreman, who attended Monday’s ceremony.
Building relationships with the community is Lewis’ top priority, along with reviewing the department’s policies, staffing, and forming a committee to eventually transition into a new police headquarters.
“My first 30 days, I’m going to be riding along with all the patrol units, riding along with the detectives, walking with parking enforcement, being with all of our civilian employees; and then, getting out and meeting people in the community,” said Lewis.
Lewis is Bedford’s thirteenth top cop in nearly a century — and is making history as its first Black police chief.
“It’s not just the police department’s responsibility to solve crime, it’s all of us. So, my job is to make sure we can build bridges to make that happen,” said Lewis.
Building a bridge to create a better Bedford.