Salem City Manager appoints interim police chief

SALEM, Virginia. – Salem City Manager Chris Dorsey has announced who will serve as the City of Salem’s interim police chief as the community says goodbye to its retiring police chief, Mike Crawley.

Deputy Chief Derek Weeks, 49, will assume the role of interim police chief when Crawley officially retires on June 1. Crawley served Salem for nearly 25 years.

“On behalf of the entire city, I want to thank Chief Crawley for his dedicated service to all Salem residents over the years,” Dorsey said. “We wish him the best in his retirement, and I am confident that Derek Weeks will continue the city’s tradition of excellent policing while he leads the police department on an interim basis.”

Weeks joined the Salem Police Department in 2001 as a patrol officer and previously spent four years with the Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office. He transferred to the Salem Criminal Investigation Division in 2006 and was voted Police Officer of the Year by his peers a year later.

He was promoted to sergeant in 2009 and served in that capacity in the patrol, services and forensics divisions. Weeks was promoted to lieutenant in 2015 and has been Salem’s second in command since February 2016.

“I am excited to serve this department and this community in this capacity,” Weeks said. “My goal for the future is to continue to build upon the foundation laid by my previous supervisors who mentored me. We will continue to provide excellent police services to our citizens and visitors.”

A nationwide search is currently underway for Salem’s next police chief.