In late August, Angela Comer was announced as Longwood University’s new Chief of Police by Cameron Patterson, Vice President of Student Affairs. Following a nationwide search held by the department, Comer was chosen due to her commitment to putting others first. During the lengthy interview process, she met with the police chiefs of other universities in Virginia and was commended for her “impeccable” record, according to the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. She believes in community partnership over policy. She stated to Longwood, “In many ways, this position represents the reasons I got into law enforcement in the first place: the opportunity to affect lives in a positive way, to be an integral part in making a safe community, and the opportunity to mentor and educate.”
Prior to becoming a member of the Longwood University Police Department, Comer served in the Arlington County Police Department for over 25 years, 6 of those years spent as a detective in the Special Victims Unit. She was the Arlington County School Resource Officer and currently serves as a captain with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Along with years of experience, Comer also has a long list of educational qualifications. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in government and international politics from GMU, a Master’s in criminal justice administration from Troy University, and completed the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University.
In 2013, Comer earned the Arlington County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award due to her role in a major cyber-stalking case. In that case, Comer tracked a long-distance relationship that went sour. “From January to probably about March, we were just trying to compile information and figure out what was going on,” she said. The perpetrator ended up with a seven-year prison sentence with Comer as lead detective, and the case gained much media attention.
Furthermore, Angela isn’t the first Comer to grace the Arlington County Police Department, however. Her father, Irving Comer, was the first black police chief in Arlington County and left quite a legacy for Angela to follow. She claimed her father was key to her career decision, likely due to witnessing the impression he made on not only their community but the police department itself. Coming to our campus, Comer seems more than ready to provide us with the same dedication. “I am a Black female in a predominately male profession and a profession that hasn’t always had a positive relationship with Black and other minority communities. But that puts me in a unique position to show people who look like me that policing doesn’t have to be what they’ve traditionally experienced and that success in the profession is attainable. My experience serving the diverse Arlington County community and Department of Wildlife Resources constituents is no less important, which I will leverage to serve the Longwood community responsively and equitably,” she said in her Longwood profile.
As Comer gets acclimated to her new setting, there are opportunities for her to make an impact on our police department and campus life. She is confident in her ability to make an impact, both ensuring public safety and helping Longwood students. “I see myself as a resource,” she said, “while keeping the guardrails of law enforcement up.”
