Chesterfield lieutenant selected as Farmville police chief

Chesterfield County police Lt. Doug Mooney was named Farmville's new police chief today.

Farmville's town council voted unanimously today to appoint Mooney, a 22-year veteran of the Chesterfield Police Department who lives just outside Farmville in Prince Edward County.

Mooney and his wife attended Longwood University, and their son and daughter both go there now.

"We've always loved the Farmville area ever since I attended Longwood back in the '80s," Mooney said, adding, "It's a great department and great officers there."

Mooney replaces Stuart Dunnavant, who retired as Farmville's chief in May, citing health reasons. Capt. Wade Stimpson has served as acting chief since then, and he was at the helm in September when a Longwood professor and three other people were found dead in her home in the town. A California man with an interest in horrorcore rap has been charged with multiple counts of capital murder in the killings.

Mooney, 45, now is a daytime patrol supervisor who oversees about 44 officers in an area that covers half of Chesterfield.

In Farmville, he will make a salary of $80,000 and oversee 25 officers and an annual budget of $2.2 million. He is scheduled to start Jan. 4.

-- Reed Williams