Amherst Police Chief Bobby Shiflett retires after 6 years

AMHERST, Va. (WFXR) — The Amherst Police Department Chief has worked in law enforcement for nearly 30 years, but he is now hanging up his badge.

Chief Bobby Shiflett has announced that he will be retiring. He told WFXR that it was a tough decision and to make it this far was an accomplishment.

“It’s actually a decision that’s not easy to make. It’s hard especially when you have a good department behind you,” shared Chief Shiflett.

He began his career in law enforcement in 1995. Throughout his time in law enforcement, Chief Shieflett worked at the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office and the Louis Police Department, before coming to the Town of Amherst in 2017. He says working in law enforcement is all he’s ever done, but he looks forward to a new chapter in his life.

“I’ve enjoyed it. The fact that being the chief of police, I’ve been able to make some differences, bring positive change, allow my officers to grow in the capacity of becoming better officers in serving their community,” shared Chief Shiflett.

During his tenure, Chief Shiflett says he has formed new goals around improving aspects of the police department. This includes training officers, getting new equipment, and working to move the department to its own facility.

“It’s been a pleasure to serve at this department. It’s been a rewarding career,” said the Chief.

Chief Shiflett says he will miss the community and his team of officers. He shared that he is looking forward to spending time with his family and doing things he hasn’t been able to do in the past.

His last day is April 1, 2024.