Chief Poland’s 26-year law enforcement career includes a diverse and strong background in many facets of law enforcement, management and leadership. He was born and raised in northern Virginia just outside of the nation’s capital. He credits integrity, work ethic and leading by example as the attributes that led to his appointment as Chief of Police for the Sugar Land Police Department. Prior to Sugar Land, he worked for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia’s largest full-service sheriff’s office.
Chief Poland fosters and implements formal public-private partnership involving numerous community stakeholders working towards crime suppression as well as shared community goals. He is a dedicated and professional commander with previous assignments that included Patrol, Gang Detective, Special Victims Unit Detective, Sergeant position within Patrol and the Narcotics Unit respectively, 2nd Lieutenant in Patrol and Internal Affairs Unit, Assistant Division Commander of the Criminal Investigations, Division Commander of Field Operations and Undersheriff. Prior to becoming Chief, and as Undersheriff with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Poland managed a $111-million-dollar budget and over 850 personnel for Loudoun County.
Chief Poland graduated with a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security with a degree in Homeland Defense. He graduated with honors, Summa Cum Laude, from the George Washington University with a degree in Police Science and a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy, Session 260.
He recently assisted as a subject-matter expert for the Department of Justice’s Commission on Law Enforcement report. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Texas Police Chief’s Association, the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Virginia Chapter, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the Virginia Sheriff’s Institute, the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, and the National Sheriff’s Association.
