WCSO Lieutenant James Coley to be Sworn in as Cornelius Police Chief

Lieutenant James Coley has been named as the chief of police of the City of Cornelius. Lieutenant Coley’s first day as the city’s chief of police will be July 1, 2023. Lieutenant Coley will be the 12th police chief for the City of Cornelius.

Lieutenant Coley has been a public servant for 32 years, having served in police, fire, and emergency medical services. He began his career at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in 1996. He holds a Master of Communication Management from the University of Southern California. Before promoting back to the patrol division as a lieutenant in January 2021, he was a property crimes detective and arson investigator for 14 years. Currently, he is the team commander for the Houseless Outreach Programs and Engagement (HOPE), Sheriff’s Posse, and K9 teams. Additionally, Lieutenant Coley is one of the team commanders for the Tactical Negotiations Team (SWAT) and a member of the Latino Advisory Commission.

Lieutenant Coley served in the Army and Air Force as a combat, flight medic, and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD/bomb disposal) technician. He retired from the military as a chief master sergeant (E9) after nearly 23 years of service. Lieutenant Coley deployed six times during his tenure and served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat zone locations. In 2000, Lieutenant Coley was hand-selected to support the United States Secret Service in protecting President George W. Bush at his private home in Crawford, Texas. In 2008, he was decorated six times, including a Bronze Star Medal for leading 876 combat missions in Iraq.

According to Cornelius City Manager Peter Brandom, “Lieutenant Coley has the experience, leadership, and passion for service to lead our police department in service to our dynamic community. He will carry on the strong community leadership that Chief Ray and our recent prior chiefs have established. We thank Chief Ray for his two and a half years of service to our community.”

Lieutenant Coley will replace current Cornelius Police Chief Bob Ray, who will be returning to the Sheriff’s Office Command Team. Chief Ray has served as Cornelius police chief since January 2021.

The City of Cornelius Police Department was established in 1953. In 2014, the City contracted police services to the Sheriff’s Office. The contract was renewed in 2022. The Department serves over 14,000 residents with 13 police employees, patrolling an area of 2.4 square miles.