Police Chief Rick Rappoport Announced Retirement to Take Amtrak Job

Fairfax City Police Chief Rick Rappoport is resigning.

Rappoport, chief for 13 years following 24 years as an officer and commander, will serve his last day with Fairfax on May 9 before taking a job with the Amtrak police force as deputy chief for the mid-Atlantic and southeast region, according to The Washington Post.

Rappoport, 60, made the announcement in a letter to Fairfax City officials and to his own officers on Monday.

Rappoport helped win voter approval for a new police headquarters.

“This area,” he said, “is blessed with incredible law enforcement leadership that works really well together to solve major issues — that just doesn’t happen everywhere in the country.”

Fairfax City Mayor Scott Silverthorne told the Post, ”As the longest serving chief in the city’s history, Rick Rappoport modernized our police department and was well respected by his officers and by the city’s governing body alike. Most importantly, crime in the City of Fairfax has been at historical lows during his time as chief. I was personally disappointed to learn the news of his retirement.”