Lynchburg Names New Police Chief After Extensive Search

Ken Edwards, a 30-year veteran of the Lynchburg Police Department, takes over as chief.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 6:47pm

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The City of Lynchburg, Virginia has appointed Ken Edwards as the new police chief after a thorough hiring process that included interviews, evaluations, and community input. Edwards had been serving as interim chief since August 2025 and now officially steps into the role, outlining his priorities of staffing, recruitment, and community engagement.

Why it matters

The Lynchburg Police Department has faced challenges with staffing and community relations in recent years, making the selection of a new chief an important decision for the city. Edwards' long tenure with the department and focus on data-driven decision making and community input are seen as key to addressing these issues.

The details

Edwards, who has worked for the Lynchburg Police Department for nearly 30 years, was selected as the new chief after the city conducted an extensive hiring process that included interviews, evaluations, and community input. More than 45 applicants from 22 states applied for the position. City Manager Wynter Benda said he was looking for someone with 'grit' who understood the department 'from the street, all the way up to the command staff'.

  • Edwards had been serving as interim chief since August 2025.
  • Edwards was officially appointed as the new police chief on January 29, 2026.

The players

Ken Edwards

A nearly 30-year veteran of the Lynchburg Police Department who was appointed as the new police chief after serving in an interim role since August 2025.

Wynter Benda

The City Manager of Lynchburg, Virginia who oversaw the extensive hiring process that led to Edwards' appointment as police chief.

Ryan Zuidema

The former police chief of Lynchburg who departed the department in August 2025, leading to Edwards' interim appointment.

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What they’re saying

“I'm excited to be the chief of police for the Lynchburg Police Department.”

— Ken Edwards, Police Chief

“Focuses are we definitely need to work on are areas in recruitment, hiring and retention. There are areas there that we can definitely make improvements in. Other improvements would be, a lot of our operation decisions are data-driven, based on technology. But when you start talking about technology, we also need to bring the community along and listen to the community on concerns.”

— Ken Edwards, Police Chief

“Cases affect me that we have been unable to thus far solve. We do an amazing job with our clearance rate, and it's far above the national average for violent crime.”

— Ken Edwards, Police Chief

“I was looking for grit. I was looking for someone when I heard or listened to, someone who understood an organization or a police department from the street, all the way up to the command staff.”

— Wynter Benda, City Manager

What’s next

Edwards said he is looking forward to continuing to improve the city and the police department through his focus on staffing, recruitment, and community engagement.

The takeaway

The selection of Ken Edwards as Lynchburg's new police chief represents an opportunity for the department to address longstanding challenges around staffing and community relations. Edwards' decades of experience within the department and commitment to data-driven, community-focused policing strategies are seen as key to restoring public trust and improving public safety outcomes.