VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Just a little over a week before the retirement of Virginia Beach Police Chief Jim Cervera, the Virginia Beach acting city manager has appointed the police department’s deputy chief to lead in the interim.

Acting City Manager Tom Leahy wrote a letter City to Council stating he would be appointing Deputy Police Chief Tony Zucaro as the interim chief starting May 1 — the first day of Cervera’s retirement.

Zucaro will serve as the police chief until a successor for Cervera is hired.

“Like Chief Cervera, Deputy Chief Zucaro is a long-tenured, dedicated and proven performer, who will lead our Police Force until a permanent selection is made,” Leahy wrote.

The current Virginia Beach Police Chief James A. Cervera is required to retire by age 65 under city code. His birthday is this month.

The city has hired GovHR USA to help find the new police chief.

“It was my initial hope that the new City Manager select would be able to have some input in the selection process for the new Chief. However, The COVID-19 Pandemic has certainly interfered with that plan,” Leahy wrote.

City Council will go over more details about the process of finding the new police chief Friday.

Leahy wrote in the letter: “During every year of his 42-year tenure, Virginia Beach has been among the safest cities – if not the safest city – in the nation. Chief Cervera has made more than his fair share of contribution to that amazing statistic from his very first year as a Police Officer, through every year since then as he rose through the ranks, to his last ten years as the Chief of Police. Thanks to Chief Cervera, his successor will take over a Police Department that is well-trained and well-equipped, with a workforce that is one of the best in the world at what they do.”

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