Major Ashley Nichols was appointed to oversee the Professional Services Bureau in December of 2021. She supervises the Community Engagement Unit, which is comprised of three School Resource Officers and one Community Engagement Officer, as well as the Parking Ambassador program. Nichols also serves as the records custodian for the department, handles all Virginia Freedom of Information Act requests, and oversees the records department. She also handles all hiring and promotional processes, as well as taxicab certifications, tour guide licensing, and uniform and equipment ordering for the department.
Nichols began her career with the Williamsburg Police Department in 2015. She has experience working in all three bureaus of the department, previously serving as a patrol officer and patrol supervisor, as well as an investigator assigned to a regional drug task force. Prior to her career in law enforcement, Nichols attended Old Dominion University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology. Nichols is also a member of the first cohort of the Virginia Women’s Municipal Leadership Institute.
