PURCELLVILLE, Va. — Purcellville Chief of Police Cynthia McAllister will retire on May 1, after nine years of service with Purcellville police and 42 years of law enforcement service in the Northern Virginia area.
McAllister has been with the Purcellville Police Department since 2015. Since then, she has added several sworn positions to the department, expanding their range of work.
With the community in mind, Chief McAllister also expanded outreach programs. She created the Books and Badges library partnership program, adopted the Coffee with a Cop initiative, and helped grow the Homework Club by partnering with the local non-profit BetterALife.
Taking advantage of the shift in technology, Chief McAllister directed the expansion of the department’s social media presence and digital outreach to increase their Facebook presence, and the creation of its Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.
Prior to joining the Purcellville Police Department, Chief McAllister served with the Fairfax County Police Department for 35 years. She began as a patrol officer in March 1982 and moved on to become a Criminal Investigation Detective, and patrol supervisor upon her promotion to Sergeant.
“Leaving Purcellville is filling me with many mixed emotions,” stated Chief McAlister.
“My time here has included many challenges, but also numerous advancements for the Department as a whole. I hope my legacy for Purcellville is that of progress. Progress in terms of professionalism, community involvement, and advances in technology. We have come so far in regards to building relationships within the community, improvements in training, updates to policy and procedures to align with best practices and state requirements, as well as basic technological advancements to allow our officers to more efficiently do their jobs. It has been my privilege to serve alongside the members of the Purcellville Police Department and my fellow Town of Purcellville employees. I am proud of their dedication, hard work, and ability to grow and learn from challenges. They truly have a servants’ heart; always giving their best to our team, and our community. I leave knowing our Department members will honorably serve and protect not only our town, but also each other.”
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