Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle announces retirement
Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle announced today that he will retire later this year and not seek reelection.
Sheriff Stolle has served as sheriff of Virginia Beach since 2010, having won elections in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021. His retirement date is to-be-determined. Pursuant to the Code of Virginia (§ 24.2-228.1), upon Sheriff Stolle’s retirement, Chief Deputy Rocky Holcomb will become sheriff until a special election can be conducted. Chief Deputy Holcomb will resign his position on Virginia Beach City Council at that time.
Sheriff Stolle has been in public service for 43 years, having served in the Virginia Beach Police Department, U.S. Navy Reserve, Senate of Virginia and Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office.
Statement from Sheriff Stolle:
“The last 13 years have been the most rewarding of my career. I am so proud to have served as sheriff of Virginia Beach and to have had the privilege of leading the men and women of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. We have accomplished some incredible things together and have made the VBSO, the Virginia Beach Correctional Center and the city of Virginia Beach better, safer places.
So with careful consideration and reflecting on these accomplishments, I have decided not to seek reelection and will retire later this year. This was a difficult decision, but it's time that I focus on my family and make room for the next generation of leadership. I am proud to announce that, when I retire, Chief Deputy Rocky Holcomb will be sworn in as sheriff until a special election can be conducted. Chief Deputy Holcomb has dedicated his career to the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office and will be a great sheriff.
I also want to share that I will be having back surgery soon and will be out of the office for several weeks. During that time, Chief Deputy Holcomb will lead in my stead.
Thank you to the citizens of Virginia Beach for entrusting me with this incredible honor for all of these years. Thank you to Mayor Bobby Dyer and the Virginia Beach City Council for all of their support. And thank you most of all to the men and women of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. This has been the greatest honor of my career.”
During his 13-year tenure, Sheriff Stolle created a Reentry Program to help inmates successfully transition back into society, achieved pay parity with the Virginia Beach Police Department, implemented body-worn cameras, completed a $5 million upgrade to the jail’s Master Control, created an Alternative Sentencing Program for nonviolent offenders, led the VBSO to become Virginia Values Veterans and Prison Rape Elimination Act certified, and expanded the VBSO’s footprint in the community, including appointing the office’s first liaison to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. He has been a champion for mental health and developed, funded and implemented an innovative mental health program in the jail, resulting in a 98% success rate.
Sheriff Stolle’s full biography is available at vbso.net/sheriff-ken-stolle. He has successfully served while overcoming Parkinson's disease since 2006.
Chief Deputy Rocky Holcomb has served the VBSO since 1991 and is the office’s highest ranking deputy sheriff. He was promoted to chief deputy in May 2018. His biography is available at vbso.net/command-organization.
Contact (including all interview requests): Strategic Communications Consultant Kathy Hieatt at khieatt@vbso.net or 757-570-9123.
