Chief Mapes in full uniform

Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle announces promotion of new chief deputy

Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle today announced the promotion of Capt. Tina Mapes to chief deputy.

Chief Deputy Mapes has served the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office (VBSO) for more than 28 years and has worked in nearly every division, including Correctional Operations, Court Security, Intake, the Professional Standards Office, Workforce, the Criminal Intelligence Unit, the Emergency Response Team and Training. She has served as captain of Correctional Administration for the past six years, overseeing Medical, the Power Shift, Information Technology and Maintenance.

She succeeds retired Chief Deputy Victoria Thomson, who served 31 years prior to her retirement on June 30. Chief Deputy Mapes started as an auxiliary deputy and worked her way up the ranks. She is the second woman to serve as chief deputy in Virginia Beach.

“Chief Deputy Mapes exemplifies public service and is a leader at work and in our community. She has had an exceptional career and embodies the core values of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office: commitment, integrity, compassion and professionalism,” said Stolle. “I am honored to have Chief Deputy Mapes serving alongside me to protect and serve the citizens of Virginia Beach and lead the VBSO forward.”

Contact: Public Information Officer Toni Guagenti at tguagenti@vbso.net or 757-385-8446 or Strategic Communications Consultant Kathy Hieatt at khieatt@vbso.net or 757-570-9123.

Chief Deputy Tina Mapes biography

Chief Deputy Tina Mapes has served the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office since 1994 and, prior to her promotion to chief deputy in July 2023, served as captain of Correctional Administration, overseeing Medical, the Power Shift, Information Technology and Maintenance. She is the second woman to serve as VBSO chief deputy after rising through the ranks.

Chief Deputy Mapes is a Navy brat who was born in Beeville, Texas, and graduated from Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach. She started out as an auxiliary deputy, and has served in nearly every division of the Sheriff’s Office, including Corrections, Intake, the Professional Standards Office, Courts, Workforce, Legal Affairs, the Criminal Intelligence Unit, the Emergency Response Team and Training, where she taught firearms, defensive tactics and more. She concurrently earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University and master’s degrees in public administration and public policy from Troy University and Liberty University, respectively. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the University of Virginia’s National Criminal Justice Command College and the Virginia Beach Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) School.

Chief Deputy Mapes is a third-degree black belt in the United Fighting Arts Federation Chuck Norris System and is working toward her black belt in Krav Maga. She teaches martial arts and women’s self-defense at Ocean Martial Arts in Virginia Beach. She has completed more than 30 half-marathons and four Marine Corps Marathons.

Chief Deputy Mapes volunteers with the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, cooking and serving meals for the homeless on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. She also volunteers for Law Enforcement United, an annual bike ride to Washington to raise money for the families of fallen law enforcement officers, and Wreaths Across America, laying wreaths on gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery.

She is active in national, state and local politics, consulting on state legislation related to law enforcement and local correctional facilities, assisting with constituent services and serving on the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel under Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

She is married to John Mapes, a retired VBSO sergeant who now serves as the jail's Canteen/CareMart manager. Together they have two German Shepherds.