Vienna Police Chief to Retire

After nearly 35 years in law enforcement, the town's chief of police will retire his badge. 

Vienna Police Chief Robert Carlisle wrote a letter notifying Town Manager Mercury Payton of his intent to retire, effective Jan. 1.

"It has been an honor and privilege to serve in this position and something that I remain thankful for every day. This job and the police department have become a labor of love for me," he wrote. "I came here to a department that was under difficult circumstances and the initial challenges were many, but from challenges we created opportunities and we have made the most of every one of them. In almost every way, this department bears little resemblance to that which I took over; a credit to every employee who works here.”

Carlisle, who will oversee worldwide security in his new position as Vice President of Security for Navy Federal Credit Union, has served with the Vienna Police Department since 2001.

Carlisle has spent his almost 35 years in law enforcement in Northern Virginia, starting with the Fairfax County Police Department where he worked his way to the Commander of the Criminal Investigations Bureua. After retiring from FCPD in 1999, Carlisle served as assistant chief with the Falls Church Police Department until he took the position with the Vienna Police Department.

"Chief Carlisle has given many years of dedicated service to the Town of Vienna and in that time has transformed the way the police department does business," Payton said in a statement. "He has been an integral part of the Town's leadership team and has provided invaluable guidance not only in the field of public safety, but also in Town budgeting practices, emergency management efforts and in the selection of key department head positions. He will most assuredly be difficult to replace."

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