Hopewell police chief plans to retire, makes announcement on Facebook page
HOPEWELL – Police Chief A.J. Starke will retire April 1, according to a post he made on social media.
Starke announced his decision Saturday morning on his Facebook page, saying he was stepping aside to spend “quality family time with my wife, children, and grandchildren.” He has been in law enforcement for 31 years.
“I am immensely appreciative of all the support from our faith-based community and our local, state, and federal partners,” Starke posted on his Facebook page Saturday morning. “I want to thank our City Council and the interim city manager for the support shown during my time in Hopewell.”
His announcement comes as Hopewell continues to battle an upturn in violent crime over the past couple of years. Since the beginning of 2022, 13 people have been murdered in Hopewell, including three double-murders and the shooting of an eight-year-old girl last December that shook the city to its core.
Starke came to Hopewell 16 months ago as interim chief on loan from Chesterfield County where he had worked for the past three decades. Six months into his time in the city, he was hired full-time, but his hiring was unique in that he was chosen by City Council instead of through the traditional route of being picked by the city manager. At that time, though, Hopewell’s top administrator, March Altman, was on administrative leave prior to being named Petersburg’s city manager.
Following the Dec. 30, 2022 death of P’Aris Moore, the attention intensified on curbing crime. In January, the city partnered with a Richmond nonprofit to launch a Group Violence Intervention program in the city by June of this year, and Starke announced the formation of a Violent Crime Task Force, a joint effort of Hopewell Police, the Hopewell Sheriff's Office, the city's commonwealth's attorney and Virginia State Police.
In announcing his retirement, Starke cited the violent uptick but also noted that the task force “has been impactful” in starting to stem the tide. As of the middle of February, he said then, more than a dozen guns and an unannounced amount of illegal drugs had been seized.
Hopewell also is working on getting surveillance cameras and other technology installed to help law enforcement better canvass around the city.
At the same time, Hopewell also is experiencing numerous reductions in staff, as at least 15 officers have left the force over the past year.
Starke said in his announcement that he plans to spend more time with his wife, children and grandchildren, adding “I would not have been able to sustain” without their love and support.
Hopewell city leaders have yet to comment publicly on Starke’s announcement.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Hopewell police chief announces retirement on social media
