by Dick Hall-Sizemore

Gov.-elect Spanberger has broken new ground with one of her agency appointments. She recently announced the appointment of Jeffrey Katz to be the Superintendent of State Police. Katz was formerly the chief of police in Chesterfield County. After retiring from that position in 2024, he joined the FBI, where he worked in the training division. Before being named chief of police by Chesterfield in 2018, he had worked in law enforcement in Florida.

This is a big deal for the State Police. The Superintendent of State police traditionally has been someone who has come up through the ranks. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, that tradition dates back to at least 1994. Katz will replace Col. Matthew Hanley, a 20-year veteran of the State Police, whom Youngkin elevated to the position last February.

There has been a suggestion that unease in the General Assembly about State Police’s management of its budget may have been a factor in Spanberger bringing in an outsider. After Hanley reported last fall that it was going to be a “lean” budget year and he had ordered a halt to all discretionary expenses, Democrats in the State Senate began asking for details of all aspects of the agency’s budget and spending. Bill Carrico, former State Senator and retired State Trooper and director of the Virginia State Police Association, noted that that action “put a target” on the back of the agency. Nevertheless, regarding Katz, Carrico said, “He’s a very intelligent man. I don’t think it’ll take him long to get his feet wet. I really respect the man and like him. I think he’ll do fine.”

There is a strong culture in the State Police. Whether bringing in an outsider will result in changes in that culture remains to be seen.