The Town of Orange opened 2026 with a series of major leadership changes, headlined by the appointment of Rebecca Davis Nelson as Chief of Police—the first woman to lead the department in its history. Then Interim Town Manager Chris Snider, now officially promoted to Town Manager, announced the appointment in early January, praising Nelson’s decades of service and steady rise through the ranks.

Nelson joined the department in 2002 as a parttime officer and community service officer. Over the next 23 years, she served as officer, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, and deputy chief. In 2024, she took on supervision of investigations and internal affairs. “Chief Nelson is the longest serving officer in the department,” Snider said. “Her years of experience and strong administrative skills give me confidence that she will be an excellent chief.”

She succeeds Kiline Madison, who stepped down for medical reasons after four years as chief. Madison will remain with the department as deputy chief, supervising operations and investigations. Snider described him as “a cop’s cop” and a respected investigator whose continued presence will support a smooth transition.

For Nelson, the promotion is deeply personal. In 2005, when her father—who also worked parttime for the department—was diagnosed with a terminal illness, town employees donated their own leave time to support him. “When that happened, I decided that this was my family,” she said. “This is where I belonged.”

In an interview with The Voice, Nelson outlined a longterm vision that balances modernization with the town’s small town character. “First, we need to restructure our pay scale to be competitive with other localities,” she said. “And we need to work with the officers and the community to maintain our small town feel and retain the trust of the citizens, despite the need to modernize.”

She emphasized that Orange’s history shapes her leadership. “We live in the birthplace of our Constitution. Our freedoms are both ancient and ever evolving. Our officers need to not just understand the law as it exists today, but respect their history.”

Her 23 years in the department have taught her the importance of building a strong, trusted team. “Trust in your team is the key to being successful,” she said. “Delegation has been one of the hardest lessons for me, but I feel like I have the right team around me.”

Like many small departments nationwide, the town faces challenges in attracting and retaining officers. Nelson is frank about the climate: “The reality is that no one wants to be the police anymore. Social media and negative reporting have society divided.”

She and Snider have already begun implementing incremental compensation improvements. “We increased the tier structure in January, and Council is working on a COLA adjustment for all Town employees,” she said. “We don’t want to burden the citizens, so we’re making concessions in other areas to work towards equity and still modernize.”

Retention is especially critical for a department with only 15 employees. “It costs a lot to recruit and train a new officer,” she said. “Retention of qualified members is essential to maintaining the feeling of community we have.”

Nelson plans to continue modernizing the department’s technology. The recent installation of FLOCK license plate readers has received mixed public reactions but Nelson emphasized transparency: “I’ve had signs printed to show where the cameras are so people can choose to avoid them if they wish.” The department is also entering an agreement with an outside company to authenticate digital photos used as evidence, a proactive step in an era of increasingly sophisticated AI generated imagery.

The planned integration of the in-car CAD system with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office will allow officers to view calls in real time from in car computers, reducing response delays and alleviating pressure on dispatch officers.

She also highlighted the growing collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Gordonsville Police Department. Joint training sessions are being planned to strengthen communication and share information. “We are in the same community and most likely experiencing the same issues,” she said.

Nelson describes the department—and the town—as a family. “I love this community—it’s the best I’ve ever seen,” she said. She recently met with a resident working to revive the long discussed Skate Park project and reflected on the town’s unique character. “I am so blessed to police in a place where the most pressing issue we have to deal with is the possibility kids getting in trouble at a Skate Park.”

Her own experience of being supported by colleagues during her father’s illness continues to shape her leadership. “If I can give one officer an experience like I had, I will consider myself successful.”

As the first woman to lead the department, Nelson hopes her appointment encourages young people—young women and men alike—to consider careers in law enforcement. “I want all youth, regardless of gender, to enjoy the same sense of belonging I’ve had the good fortune to experience,” she said.

Judi Cooper

Copublisher of the Orange County Voice