LYNCHBURG, Va. – Next month, Lynchburg will have an interim police chief.
Lynchburg City Manager Bonnie Svrcek announced Tuesday that she has appointed Lynchburg Deputy Chief Ryan Zuidema to the position, effective Sept. 1.
In June, current Police Chief Raul Diaz announced he would be retiring from law enforcement to take a position with the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations in an overseas leadership role later this year.
Zuidema joined the Lynchburg Police Department in Jan. 1997 and was promoted to major in Sept. 2016.
Now, as one of two deputy chiefs in the department, he oversees both the investigations and administrative bureaus.
“This was a difficult decision because we have two very well-qualified deputy chiefs,” said Svrcek. “I have great confidence that the department will continue to do the work of building community and protecting and serving the citizens of Lynchburg during this interim period.”
A nationwide search is ongoing to fill the police chief’s position.