Longtime Chief Will Retire in May

By WYDaily Staff Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Williamsburg Police Chief Mike Yost has notified City Council of his plan to retire May 28.

Yost has served the city as a police officer for 34 years, and has been chief of police since 1996.

“I have always enjoyed the opportunities that this job provided to interact with people. When I became Police Chief, the first thing I understood was that I would no longer be reporting just to one person; I’d be reporting to all the citizens,” said Yost in a statement provided by the city. “I also take pride in the fact that I leave the Police Department in good order, attended by an excellent staff of dedicated people.”

Yost said one of the high points of his career was in 2009, when the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. selected the Williamsburg police force to be a Flagship Agency, an extraordinary example of excellence in public safety and a recognized resource for other departments across the country.

"After 34 years on the police force protecting the public safety of Williamsburg, Chief Yost leaves the police department and the City in more than just ‘good order,’” said Mayor Jeanne Zeidler. “His legacy will include not only the great achievements such as Flagship status, but just as important, his leadership in the police force and the community. Mike’s accomplishments and the esteem with which he is held by fellow professionals and residents alike are testament to his sense of honor, professionalism, accountability and devotion to service.”

Yost is a native of Hampton, and has an undergraduate degree from St. Leo University and a Masters Degree in Justice Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has served on the boards of many professional and community organizations, including: Virginia
Association of Chiefs of Police (serving as President); the Hampton Roads Regional Chiefs of Police Association; Hampton Roads Criminal
Justice Training Academy (serving as Chairman); and the Executive Committee of the NAACP.

According to a statement from the city's communications office, a successor will be named at a later date.