Candidate Profile: Dave Rosado (Chesapeake Sheriff race)

Dave Rosado is the incumbent candidate for Chesapeake Sheriff and is running as a Republican. His name will appear on the June 17, 2025 ballot. Rosado is running against challenger Wallace Chadwick III in the June Republican primary. The winner will appear on the ballot for the General Election on Nov. 4.

10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race, with a request for a bio and a list of questions to answer. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.

Name: Sheriff Dave Rosado
Age: 59
Website: https://friendsofdaverosado.com/

Biography

Sheriff Dave Rosado is a 23 ½ -year veteran of the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office. Born
and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he moved to Chesapeake in 1999. While steadily
rising through the ranks, Sheriff Rosado served with distinction in corrections, booking,
support services, court services, administration, training, and public information. Rosado
is a Certified Jail Manager through the American Jail Association. In June 2023, he
graduated from the 286th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico. In
November 2024, Dave Rosado was appointed Sheriff of Chesapeake, thus becoming
the fourth in the City’s history and the first Hispanic Sheriff.

In 2017, he served as the CSO’s Director of Training ensuring all deputy trainees who
graduate from the Chesapeake Law Enforcement Training Academy were trained and
prepared for service. Sheriff Rosado led the agency’s response to the COVID-pandemic
as the Chief of Administration, before taking over as the Chief of Corrections in 2019.
As Chief of Corrections, he was responsible for all operations in the Chesapeake
Correctional Center, as well as the safety and security of the approximately 800
offenders and more than 250 Deputy Sheriffs and civilians in the Correctional Center.
As Chief of Court Services, Sheriff Rosado oversaw the safety and security of the
288,000 people who enter the Chesapeake courthouses, court security operations, and
civil enforcement.

As Undersheriff, Sheriff Rosado expanded the CSO’s School Resource Deputy (SRD)
program to place 14 SRDs in elementary schools. He also oversaw an expansion of the
Chesapeake Correctional Center to include a state-of-the-art mental health/therapeutic
ward. In 2015, the City of Chesapeake awarded Sheriff Rosado a “Public Service
Award” for his “Be a Hero, not a Zero” school assembly shows. Sheriff Rosado used his
sleight of hand and knowledge of interpersonal communication concepts to perform this
educational, anti-bullying magic show to 75,000 students in Chesapeake Public Schools
and the Hampton Roads area since 2010. With a passion for community service, he
considers it his mission to protect Chesapeake’s seniors and mentor its youth. Sheriff
Rosado is the head of the Sheriff’s Office’s Senior Advocate” office—working with the
Commonwealth’s Attorney to investigate crimes affecting seniors.

When Sheriff Rosado is not working or volunteering, he enjoys spending time with his
mother, Gertrudis, his loving wife, Janet, and their two children, Ileana and Antonio.

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for the office of Sheriff because I have dedicated my career to serving and
protecting the people of Chesapeake, and I am committed to continuing the steady,
proven leadership our community deserves. Since being appointed Sheriff, I’ve led with
integrity, experience, and a clear vision — ensuring our jail remains safe and secure,
our staff is supported, and our community is protected. This office carries the serious responsibility of caring for those in our custody, keeping our courts and community safe, and managing complex operations that require experience, not guesswork. I have spent over 23 ½ years learning every aspect of this job and have already demonstrated that I can lead effectively.
I’m running to continue building on that foundation — strengthening public safety,
expanding programs that help reduce recidivism, protecting our seniors and youth, and
making sure our staff have the resources and leadership they deserve. Chesapeake
deserves a Sheriff who knows the job and has done the job — and that’s exactly what I
bring to the table.

Why are you qualified to hold this office?

I am qualified to hold this office because I have dedicated over 23 ½ years to serving in
the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office, gaining firsthand experience in every core responsibility this role demands. I have successfully run a safe, secure jail that has passed every Department of Corrections and Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services inspection. I know how to protect both staff and inmates, manage civil process, and ensure court security — all of which are unique and critical duties of a sheriff. My opponent may have law enforcement experience on the street, but running a jail, handling civil operations, and overseeing court functions require a different discipline and deep operational knowledge — knowledge I have built over decades. I’ve walked the tiers, managed inmate care, led staff, and built partnerships with courts, community organizations, and mental health services.

This is not a position where you can “learn as you go.” Lives and safety are on the line
every day. I am ready, proven, and fully capable of leading on day one. That’s the
difference. I have the experience that matters most for the job of Sheriff. Running the correctional facility, ensuring the safety of staff, managing civil and court operations, and caring for those in custody — these are the core responsibilities of a sheriff. I have 23 ½ years of direct experience doing exactly that. My opponent has none.

I carry the experience and knowledge to continue performing my duties as Sheriff. Here
are just a few of the accomplishments in which I hold. Starting as a deputy sheriff, I worked in corrections and booking, responsible for the safety and security of more than 1,000 offenders in the Chesapeake Correctional Center and safely processing offenders in and out of the facility.
As a sergeant and first sergeant, I worked in Public Information acting as the agency’s
media liaison and spokesperson, managing the Office’s social media platforms, and
conducting the CSO’s community outreach programs. As a certified Crime Prevention
Officer, I taught safety seminars and conducted safety inspections for local seniors.
I also have served as a Correctional and Administrative Lieutenant, in which I became
the Watch Commander responsible for all correctional operations during my shift and
managed approximately 40 deputies and sergeants. As Administration Lieutenant, I
supervised administrative operations including public information, human resources,
asset/supply, fiscal administration, and special projects. As a Captain and member of the CSO’s Command Staff, I served as the Training Academy Director supervising the training of new deputies and ensuring in-service hours are served to maintain the various certifications of 400+ deputy sheriffs. Upon my promotion to the rank of major, I served as the Chief of Administration
overseeing the $61-million budget of the Office and leading the agency’s response to
the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure all offenders and employees have the necessary
PPE and policies in safe to limit the virus’ spread. After this, I served as Chief of
Corrections, overseeing all operations in the jail and work center, ultimately responsible
for the safety and security of 900+ inmates and 200+ employees in the correctional
center. Finally, I served as Chief of Court Services responsible for the safety and
security of 288,000 people entering the court buildings last year, and the serving of
88,000 court papers.

In 2022, I was appointed to the position of Undersheriff, which made me responsible for
all day-to-day operations of the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office (corrections, administration,
court services, internal affairs, and fugitive apprehension) at the direction of the Sheriff.
I am qualified to serve as Sheriff because I bring over 23 ½ years of experience within
the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office and have successfully led the agency since my
appointment on November 1, 2024. I have managed all core duties — running a safe,
secure jail, overseeing civil process, court security, and ensuring staff and community
safety.

This job requires specialized experience, not just general law enforcement knowledge.
I’ve done the work, led the operations, and built strong partnerships to keep
Chesapeake safe. I am ready, proven, and fully capable of continuing serving as your
Sheriff.

How will you work with U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement when it
comes to enforcing federal immigration laws?

As Sheriff, I will continue to work cooperatively with the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a way that supports public safety and respects the law.
Our primary role is to ensure the safety of our community and the security of our jail. We
uphold ICE’s best practices and are working to expand our partnership holding illegal
immigrants accountable and aligning with Governor Glen Youngkin’s executive order:
“Sheriff Rosado and the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office are doing it right—working with
ICE to follow the law, uphold best practices, and protect Virginians. Their work aligns
with my Executive Order and the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force and helps
keep our communities safe.”

We will honor lawful detainers and communicate with ICE when individuals in our
custody are flagged for immigration violations, especially when they have committed
serious crimes. Our cooperation will focus on ensuring that dangerous individuals who
pose a threat to public safety are appropriately handled. At the same time, our priority remains on managing our facility, providing constitutionally sound care to all individuals in our custody, and maintaining strong relationships with all federal, state, and local partners. We will enforce the law fairly, professionally, and without bias — while making sure our resources are focused on keeping Chesapeake safe. We will continue our great relationship and partnership between ICE and Federal Authorities. Following Immigration Law to the utmost and highest standard is vital for the safety and security of the City of Chesapeake. This relationship between ICE and Federal Law enforcement has been proven based on some of my endorsements. Tony Pham, Former Acting Director of ICE/Current Assisting Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy has fully endorsed my campaign. Governor Youngkin has also praised our ICE and Homeland Security policy, thus showing our strong commitment to following Immigration law and keeping Chesapeake safe. We will continue these great relationships between Federal Law enforcement and State Leaders to ensure our immigration law is followed and that Chesapeake remains
a safe city to live, work, and raise a family.

How would you address the staffing shortages facing law enforcement?

As Sheriff, I have already taken concrete steps to address staffing shortages in the Chesapeake
Sheriff’s Office. In the month of April, we had the lowest public safety vacancy rate of 4.30%.
I’ve worked closely with the City Manager and City Council to ensure our salaries and benefits
remain competitive — keeping us among the top three in pay in the region. That commitment
has helped us attract and retain high-quality staff. I’ve also focused on creating a positive and supportive work culture, one built on respect, communication, and strong leadership. By improving training, offering career development opportunities, and ensuring staff have the tools and resources they need to stay safe, we’ve strengthened morale and retention.

On the recruitment side, we’ve expanded our outreach efforts, connecting with diverse
communities, military veterans, and young people interested in public service careers. We
highlight the unique roles within the Sheriff’s Office — from corrections and civil process to court security and school resource program and community engagement — to show the full range of opportunities available. These combined efforts have helped us stay staffed, stable, and strong — and I’ll continue working every day to support and grow our team.