Long-serving Mont Belvieu Police Chief, Virgil Blasdel, has announced his intention to retire from his post later this year. Chief Blasdel has served the City of Mont Belvieu for the majority of his 36 years in law enforcement.
“I have been blessed to serve my hometown for a very long time,” said Blasdel. “Things have changed so much and I am proud of how our department has developed and changed to keep the residents of Mont Belvieu safe.”
Blasdel grew up in Mont Belvieu and attended Barbers Hill High School. After graduating from Lee College, Blasdel began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer for the City of Mont Belvieu in 1984 at the age of 20. He continued to serve his neighbors as a Chambers County Sheriff’s Deputy before returning to the Mont Belvieu Police Department in 1999 serving as lieutenant and then as captain. In November of 2007, Blasdel took the reins of the department when he was appointed to the position of Chief of Police.
Upon informing Mont Belvieu city leadership of his intention to retire, Blasdel stated, “Leading the men and women of the Mont Belvieu Police Department for the last 13 years has been an honor and a privilege. While I will miss being at the station every day, working with our officers, and spending time out in our community, I feel now is the right time to pass the baton. I look forward to seeing MBPD continue to grow along with the community and hearing about the great things they will do as the department begins a new chapter.”
Mont Belvieu Mayor Nick Dixon had nothing but praise for Blasdel upon hearing about his retirement plans. “Virgil has been an amazing leader for our police department for over a decade. I want to personally thank him for everything he has done to serve our city and community over his 36 years in law enforcement. He is one of the biggest reasons Mont Belvieu has the reputation as one of the safest communities in our area. While we’ll miss Virgil here in Mont Belvieu, his retirement is very much deserved.”
City Manager Nathan Watkins added, “The City of Mont Belvieu has been incredibly fortunate to have Chief Blasdel leading our police department. During his tenure the City has grown tremendously and Chief Blasdel has always focused on ensuring Mont Belvieu was a safe community for families to live in and enjoy. I want to congratulate Chief Blasdel on his retirement and thank him for all his years of law enforcement service.”
After leaving his position later this year, Blasdel says he and his wife, Danita, will move to the Texas hill country where he hopes to fill his days volunteering at Garner State Park. “My plan is to just take in the hill country views and enjoy the Frio River. It’s something Danita and I are both really looking forward to.”
The City of Mont Belvieu is starting the search for a new Chief of Police immediately.
For questions or additional information, please contact Communications and Marketing Director Brian Ligon via email bligon@montbelvieu.net<mailto:bligon@montbelvieu.net> or by phone 281-974-0384.
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