CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Albemarle County Chief of Police Col. Sean Reeves has been on a medical leave since May 8, the county confirmed to Cville Right Now on Wednesday, and Maj. Camille Stewart, a deputy chief, has been serving as the acting chief since that date.

The county did not publicly announce Reeve’s leave, citing privacy concerns, but the Charlottesville Daily Progress reported the news Wednesday morning.

“Why didn’t we notify the public? We were trying to give Sean as much privacy as he has the right to,” County Spokesperson Abbey Stumpf told Cville Right Now on Wednesday. “We’re trying to balance the HIPAA regulations and protected information. We’ve had other department heads go on medical leave and didn’t put that out.”

Stewart notified the officers in the department of Reeves’s leave in a staff email the morning of May 8, a copy of which Stumpf sent to Cville Right Now on Wednesday.

“He has asked for privacy during this time away and will have limited access to internal communications,” Stewart wrote in the email. “We wish him a smooth recovery and look forward to his return.”

Reeves could not be reached for comment.

Stumpf, who said the leave could last up to 12 total weeks, said there have been no changes or disruptions to service with Reeves on leave.

“There’s no change in operations,” Stumpf said. “There’s still a chief of police. She’s the acting chief of police. Crimes are still being investigated the way that they always are. There’s no change in the day to day.”

Stumpf said she recognizes and appreciates public and media concern about the county’s decision not to announce the leave publicly.

“That was something that was weighed in how to explain this. It wasn’t done lightly,” Stumpf said.  “One of my goals is to humanize government. That’s putting our employees out more in the public. But where is the balance. This is not easy.”