CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WINA) – There’s a new police chief in town.

Michael Kochis was sworn in during Wednesday’s City Council meeting, making him Charlottesville’s sixth police chief since Tim Longo left in 2016.

But stopping a revolving door isn’t new territory for Kochis. When he began his three years as Warrenton’s chief of police, Fauquier County’s town seat had gone through three chiefs in 18 months. He has spent most of his police career in Alexandria.

When asked if he is Charlottesville to stay, he said, “Absolutely!”

When asked how he plans to satisfy the people and make his stay pleasant, he admitted it will take work.

“It takes time,” he said. “I’m going to have to build trust within this community. They’re going to have to trust me, they’re going to have to trust their police department and that takes time, and to build trust you have to be present so I’m going to be out there.”

Chief Kochis is one of the first recipient’s of University of Virginia’s Master of Public Safety degree, something he calls one of the best experiences he’s ever had.

He succeeds Acting Chief Tito Durette, who served while the city searched for a permanent replacement for former Chief RaShall Brackney, who was fired in 2021.