Award-winning employee Steven “Beau” Boggs named Chief of Police for UVA Wise

On March 15, UVA Wise announced that Steven “Beau” Boggs has been named Chief of Police for the College.

Since April 2021, Boggs has served as Interim Chief of Police where he has supervised the day-to-day operations of the police department and worked to enhance the safety of our employees and students. He has been a member of the College’s police force since 2008.

Boggs also teaches new officers in the College’s Criminal Justice Academy and serves on the Title IX committee and “Care Team,” as well as the team for threat assessment at UVA Wise.

In December 2021, Boggs earned the Leonard W. Sandridge Outstanding Contributor Award, the University of Virginia’s highest honor bestowed upon staff for their dedication and service. In his nomination for the award, colleagues pointed out that, after local law enforcement agencies in Big Stone Gap, Norton and Wise experienced an unusual year of violence and loss in 2020-21, Boggs provided assistance with emotional and physical support far beyond the line of duty to family members and to his crew.

One of Boggs’ fellow officers eloquently wrote, “I believe that because of Beau’s efforts, citizens of Southwest Virginia look at the UVA Wise Police Department as a beacon of light.”

Boggs holds numerous certifications and has completed hundreds of hours of specialized law enforcement training.

Joe Kiser, vice chancellor for finance and operations, announced Boggs’ promotion today, March 15, saying “I am grateful for Beau’s service and am comforted to know that our campus safety is in the good hands of Beau and his team.”

Prior to his time at UVA Wise, Boggs served as a police officer for the City of Norton and the Town of Big Stone Gap. He also had previous roles as a game warden, conservation police officer and correctional officer. He is a graduate of Mountain Empire Community College, the Federal Bureau of Prisons Academy, and the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy.