STATEMENTS OF RETIRING VIRGINIA STATE POLICE SUPERITNENDENT COL. GARY SETTLE AND ACTING SUPERINTNENDENT LT. COL MATT HANLEY

RICHMOND –  Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, issued the following statement, following the announcement today that he was retiring after 40 years in law enforcement: “I have been blessed to lead this Department for seven years, and to have served in it for four decades.  I am proud of the work our troopers, agents, and civilian staff put in over that time, dealing with protests, solving cold cases, rescuing people, and making sure the roads are safe.   We continue to make strides to ensure that we are the top law enforcement agency in the Commonwealth, and I leave Virginia State Police in Lt. Col. Matt Hanley’s more than capable hands.  I will miss being part of this wonderful group of talented and dedicated men and women.”

Lieutenant Colonel Matt Hanley, Acting Superintendent of Virginia State Police, issued the following statement upon Col. Settle’s announcement: “I want to thank Col. Settle for his 40 years of law enforcement service.  Law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth owe Colonel Settle a debt of gratitude for his outstanding leadership.  Virginia State Police will continue to provide the best service and security possible to the people of the Commonwealth during this transition and beyond.”

Biographies

Colonel Gary T. Settle is the 13th Superintendent to lead the Virginia State Police.

During his 40 years of service in law enforcement, Settle has served the Commonwealth of Virginia at the state and local levels in a myriad of public safety capacities. He was initially appointed Superintendent by then-Governor Ralph Northam in 2018 after having served as the Director of the Department’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) since 2017 and as its Deputy Director from 2015 to 2017. The Rappahannock County native graduated from the Virginia State Police Academy in 1986 as Class President of the 78th Basic Session. His first patrol assignment was in Frederick and Clarke counties in the State Police Culpeper Division.

Over the years, he has served as a Tactical Team supervisor, been assigned to the Governor’s protective detail, and served on the State Police Honor Guard. His assignments have included the State Police Culpeper and Wytheville Divisions. In addition to his progression through the supervisory ranks of State Police, Settle also served as Sheriff for Rappahannock County from 1996 to 2000.

Colonel Settle earned a Master’s Degree in Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Administration of Criminal Justice from Bluefield University. He is also a graduate of the FBI Executive Management Course and the National Criminal Justice Command College of the UVA School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

Lieutenant Colonel Matt Hanley has served with the Virginia State Police since 1993 and is currently the Director of the Bureau of Field Operations.  As the Director, he oversees approximately 1,700 sworn and civilian employees with the primary mission to patrol over 70,000 miles of state highways throughout Virginia, providing both traffic and criminal enforcement.  LTC Hanley is also responsible for the coordination of statewide responses to major incidents including civil unrest and natural/manmade disasters, and for numerous specialty units including aviation, tactical team, tactical field force, search and recovery, canine, motorcycle, motor carrier enforcement, crash reconstruction, the motor vehicle safety inspection program, and seven state police dispatch centers. Other positions held throughout his career include Trooper, Sergeant, Area Commander, Assistant Division Commander, Training Officer, and Director of the Office of Performance Management and Internal Controls.

Lieutenant Colonel Hanley has a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School (Center for Homeland Defense and Security), a bachelor’s degree from Norwich University, and is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s National Criminal Justice Command College and the FBI National Executive Institute. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs Police, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Board of Advisors for the Virginia Public Safety Innovation Center.