Subject Matter Expert
Chief of Police, Fredericksburg VA Police Department
Chief Layton dedicated 32 years to local law enforcement, including 13 years in senior leadership positions. Throughout his career, he served with a single agency, progressing through every rank before retiring in 2026 after six years as Chief of Police.
During his tenure, Chief Layton held a wide range of assignments across patrol, investigations, administration, and emergency communications. He successfully led the department through the unprecedented challenges of the 2020 civil unrest while maintaining essential public safety services and daily police operations throughout the city.
A graduate of the FBI National Academy (Class 257, 2014), Chief Layton has since returned on multiple occasions as a guest instructor, sharing his expertise with law enforcement leaders from across the nation.
Under Chief Layton’s leadership, the department maintained its nationally recognized accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), originally achieved in 2009. In 2025, he guided the agency to another significant milestone by securing its first CALEA national accreditation for the Emergency Communications (911) Center. Chief Layton served as vice-chairman for the regional police training academy as well as the regional jail authority.
Chief Layton holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Averett University.