Deputy Chief Wichtendahl has more than 31 years of service with the Virginia Beach Police Department and has been assigned to every division of the organization. He has served as commanding officer of the Special Operations Bureau and the Fourth Precinct, as well as the lieutenant of the Services Unit and Major Crimes Unit. Notably, he has also held the executive aide to the police chief and Special Events lieutenant roles.

Deputy Chief Wichtendahl holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University. He is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum's (PERF) Management Institute for Police and the University of Richmond’s Police Executive Leadership School (PELS). Prior to joining the Virginia Beach Police Department, he served for more than seven years with the Howard County Maryland Police Department.

In his current assignment, Deputy Chief Wichtendahl oversees the Administrative Bureau, which includes the Professional Standards Bureau, Internal Affairs Unit, Planning and Research Unit, Animal Services Bureau, Services Unit, Logistics Unit and the Property and Evidence Squad.

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