Fairfax County — Before Lt. Col. Edwin Roessler became acting and then full-fledged chief of police for Fairfax County, he served in every rank as he’s moved up the ladder. Since 2010, he was deputy chief of patrol managing Animal Services, plus crime-fighting efforts across eight district stations.
Roessler also organized police emergency responses to a variety of natural disasters and tactical operational events. He deployed personnel to President Barack Obama’s inauguration in January and managed patrol assets committed to solving several, multijurisdictional crimes. And he directed the Police Department’s strategic-planning initiatives.
He received his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and his graduate degree from George Washington University. He also graduated from a variety of professional-development-and-leadership programs.
As a senior commander, Roessler headed the Internal Affairs Bureau and the Criminal Justice Academy. He managed the department’s budget and human resources and led a Patrol Bureau division overseeing the Crime Analysis Unit and the construction of the Sully District Station.
He also spearheaded efforts creating the Incident Support Services program serving department members and their families. And he both supervised and commanded the Civil Disturbance Unit. In addition, Roessler volunteered for assignments that would help increase and improve police services to the community.
He’s currently a senior advisor to the International Association of Chiefs of Police for its international, police-education-and-training program. As Fairfax County’s chief of police, his annual salary will be $188,410.