Photo courtesy of City of Alexandria
Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey
Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey is honored to have been named to Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger’s transition committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security Policy.
Casey is one of eight members assigned to the Criminal Justice/Corrections Subcommittee which is tasked with identifying priorities and making recommendations on key issues in those areas of public safety.
With 21 years of service in law enforcement and corrections, including the last four as Sheriff for the City of Alexandria, Sheriff Casey brings extensive experience and valuable insights to the committee.
“I’m extremely honored to be among those helping to support the Governor-elect and her transition team,” says Casey. “In Virginia, we’re fortunate to have a number of highly knowledgeable and experienced public safety leaders and it is indeed a privilege to have been selected.”
Casey is a native of Alexandria, a lifelong Virginian, and a graduate of Virginia Tech. He was recently elected to his second term as Sheriff of Alexandria.
Casey began his first term as Sheriff of the City of Alexandria on January 1, 2022, following his election to the office in November 2021.
Casey initially joined the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office in 2017 as a sergeant after a highly distinguished career with the Alexandria Police Department where he had served as a patrol officer, detective, and sergeant.
In his first four years with the Sheriff’s Office, he earned promotions to lieutenant and then captain and served as the Assistant Commander of Administrative Services for the Sheriff’s Office. In this position, he managed Human Resources and Training, Fiscal Management, Investigations and Policy, Information Technology, Public Information, and Community Relations. He also organized implicit bias training for all employees, developed and launched the Sheriff’s Office Community Academy, implemented Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement training and policies, and expanded public safety and crime prevention services.
Beginning in spring 2020, then-Captain Casey oversaw the Sheriff’s Office’s planning and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this capacity, he worked with the Detention Center staff and medical personnel, the health department, and fellow commanders to identify issues; develop, implement and, when necessary, modify protocols; find safe and secure options for attorney-client visits and social visitation; and manage personnel and other resources to ensure adequate staffing while prioritizing their health and safety.
As Sheriff, he has strengthened his relationships with community members and his commitment to those he serves with as well as to those in custody. In his first year, Casey expanded recruiting efforts and established a partnership with the U.S. Army to facilitate employment for former servicemembers; ensured that the Office was reaccredited with distinction by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies; relaunched the Sheriff’s Community Academy and implemented measures to safely reopen public visitation at the jail as the pandemic eased; established new employee wellness initiatives; and expanded programming and partnerships with faith-based and community organizations including Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria.
The following year, Casey expanded employee wellness efforts with implementation of the ASOFit program; oversaw the Adult Detention Center's reaccreditation by American Correctional Association's Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (ACA) and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), resulting in the Office receiving the Triple Crown Award from the National Sheriffs' Association; and expanded use of technology to improve the safety of inmates and staff.
Casey has partnered with the Commonwealth’s Attorney and Clerk of the Circuit Court to make the expungement process more accessible and affordable, and under Casey's leadership, in 2024 the Adult Detention Center attained certification for compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). He also reestablished the Elementary School Liaison Program to foster positive interactions between deputies and children and serve as a public safety resource to our school communities and introduced a new K-9 team to detect contraband in the Detention Center.
Since becoming Sheriff, Casey has been honored by community and public safety partners alike, most recently receiving recognition from Shiloh Baptist Church, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Del Ray Business Association, Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 and U.S. Marshals Service, and being named one of the "Most Interesting Men of 2023" by VIP Alexandria magazine.
A graduate of Virginia Tech, Casey continues his professional and leadership development, successfully completing the Leadership in Police Organizations program with the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2019, earning his Certified Public Management® designation from the George Washington University in 2020, graduating from the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute for Police in 2023, and graduating from the National Sheriffs’ Institute’s programs Leadership Development in 2024 and Communicating for Impact in 2025.
Casey is a graduate of T.C. Williams High School, now Alexandria City High. He lives in the West End with his wife and their young children.
