Superintendent Harold Wilson Burgess

Colonel Harold Burgess was first employed as a clerk with D. Pender Grocery Company, Norfolk. He was later transferred to Tappahannock as store manager for D. Pender. Selected to attend Division of Motor Vehicles training school for position of Inspector May 1936.

At the time, permanent positions were not offered until the candidate successfully completed the training phase. His candidacy for a police position with DMV was driven to an extent by the fact that his father was a special police officer with Spotsylvania County.

 Graduated DMV school June 1936 as Inspector and assigned to the state police unit of the Norfolk office of DMV. The effective date of official employment with DMV was July 1936. Transferred to Suffolk where he served in the state police unit of DMV as Inspector. At this time, the position may have been informally referred to as Trooper.

The enforcement arm (state police unit) of DMV became a separate agency of state government in 1942 and was designated the Department of State Police. He was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to West Point April 1947. Attended and graduated from the FBI National Academy 1949.

In July 1950, in what data reflects may have been a new position, Burgess was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to State Police Headquarters (SPHQ) to command the training academy.

Completed the following courses of study:

• Homicide Investigation, Harvard University.
• Law Enforcement Science, Western Reserve University.
• Police Supervision, Northwestern University.
• Traffic Safety Management, New York University.

Promoted to Captain 1955 and assigned as Division Commander to 4th Division, Wytheville; Lieutenant J. S. Pearson, District 7, Wytheville; Lieutenant W. S. Dameron, District 8, Roanoke. February, 1959 promoted to Inspector at State Police Headquarters to succeed Inspector P. W. Crews who was promoted to Executive Officer under Colonel C. W. Woodson, Jr., Superintendent.

Following his promotion to Inspector, the designation of the position was changed to Major, Field Supervisor March 1959.  April 1964 promoted to Executive Officer to succeed P. W. Crews who died in office. In January 1968 appointed Superintendent by Governor Mills E. Godwin, Jr. to succeed Colonel Woodson who retired. Thereafter, as an indication of the confidence held in him, Burgess was reappointed to the office by Governor A. Linwood Holton, Jr. in 1970 and again by Governor Godwin in 1974.

• A new radio communications system for the agency was implemented.
• A Division of Criminal Investigation was created placing all department investigative components under separate command from uniform operations.
• With the emergence of illegal narcotics as a growing problem across the state and nation, undercover operations to address the matter were approved and implemented.

Special honors:

• Elected President of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.Appointed Chairman of the Council of Criminal Justice and Chairman of the Criminal Justice Services Commission.
• Served as Chairman of the North Atlantic Region, Division of State and Provincial Police of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
• Commended by the Department of Highways and Transportation for outstanding leadership as Superintendent.
• Highly commended by the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate for job exceedingly well done as Superintendent.
• Retired as Superintendent March, 1977 and was succeeded by Captain D. M. Slane.
• At a special ceremony in September, 1977, he was presented the Commonwealth Award for Outstanding Public Service by James Madison University.

Burgess died February 21, 1990 and was interred Westhampton Memorial Park, Richmond. Wife Davis Wilkerson Burgess later deceased following Colonel Burgess’s passing. Surviving son Harold Wilson Burgess Jr. retired July l, 2014 as Judge, 12th Judicial Circuit, Chesterfield County and the City of Colonial Heights; surviving daughters Patricia Burgess Nott and Vicki Burgess Nott, who married brothers; five grandchildren and five great grandchildren surviving.