BEDFORD, Va. – For the first time in its history, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office has appointed a woman to its command staff.
Nearly two decades have passed since Edmondson first donned a uniform at the sheriff’s office.
“19 years later, I’m still here,” she said.
Now, she has made history by becoming the department’s first-ever female command staff captain.
“From a very young age, I knew I wanted to try to make a positive impact and help people,” Edmondson shared.
Captain Christian Edmondson’s promotion to Captain of the Administration Division marks a major milestone for the department—and a powerful example of leadership in action.
Capt. Edmondson was born and raised in Carroll County, Virginia, and graduated from Carroll County High School in 2003. After attending New River Community College, she enrolled in the New River Criminal Justice Training Academy—where Bedford County officials first met her.
She joined the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office in 2006 at just 21 years old, taking what she called a “leap of faith” by moving to the area to begin her law enforcement career. Since then, she’s held a variety of roles—from patrol deputy, to Vice/Narcotics Investigator, to Criminal Investigations—and was promoted to Sergeant in 2021.
But this moment is bigger than a promotion.
“She’s 7, her name is Reagan. If you see here, a couple Halloweens ago I asked her what she wanted to be, and she said she wanted to be me,” Edmondson recalled.
As a mother and a leader, Edmondson hopes her story helps open doors, especially for girls and women considering careers in law enforcement.
“I just hope that they see from this that they can be anything they want to be. I think females are a lot stronger than we often think that we are, and with hard work and determination, and like you said, breaking those barriers and setting those goals, we can do anything anyone else can,” she said.
Edmondson noted that law enforcement has often been a male-dominated field. While that is changing, women still represent a smaller percentage of the workforce.
“Law enforcement in general has often been a male-dominated field. That’s kind of changing somewhat, but we are still in lower numbers than the men are. So I think it’s just important to work hard and work towards those things and know that we are just as capable as the males to fill those roles,” she explained.
Sheriff Mike Miller, who appointed Edmondson to her new role, recognized her leadership as something the department needs.
“She is the future of law enforcement. She is able to help mold everybody—not just women, but the whole department,” Miller said.
Captain Edmondson may be the first, but she hopes she won’t be the last.