Johnny Gandy picked to be Madison’s next police chief
Published 5:02 pm Thursday, May 20, 2021
The Madison City Council has passed a resolution approving the Mayor to enter into negotiations with Johnny Gandy, currently a Captain in the Virginia Beach Police Department in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Mayor Finley announced his intention to finalize employment terms for a final council vote at the June 14 city council meeting.
“It was our job to present four extremely qualified candidates to Council for consideration, and we will move forward quickly to finalize this choice. As Mayor, I am looking forward to working alongside Mr. Gandy to ensure that public safety and community connection with our residents in Madison continues to stay strong,” Finley said.
City officials said negotiations for employment will take place in the following weeks, and the city council is prepared to make the official appointment at the June 14 council meeting.
About Johnny Gandy:
Johnny Gandy is a Captain of the City of Virginia Beach Police Department, currently supervising more than 100 certified officers and non-sworn staff for a precinct of approximately 250 square miles. The 1st Precinct incorporates the US Navy’s East Coast Master Jet Base, industrial and office complexes, a large shopping mall, and numerous residential neighborhoods from assisted housing to multi-million-dollar homes. Captain Gandy has progressed with the Department since he was hired as a Patrol Officer in 1987, becoming an Acting Detective in 1991, and a regular Detective in 1996, promoted to Sergeant in 2000, a Lieutenant in 2010, and then a Captain in 2018.
Captain Gandy has a long list of achievements. Two examples include: 1) establishment of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program, developing in-service training for Police Officers, and authorized a grant package to start the program, partnered with many CIT staffed agencies that resulted in the largest most successful program in the state; and 2) When Captain Gandy supervised the department’s Domestic Violence Unit (DMU), the local Navy military bases had an epidemic of domestic violence incidents involving military families due to increased deployments, and Captain Gandy was asked to tailor the program for military members, which resulted in a drop in incidents.
Captain Gandy has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University, and a Master’s in Criminal Justice from Troy University, and completed the FBI National Academy in 2017.
