Media Release: WCSO Lieutenant Bob Ray Sworn-In as New Cornelius Police Chief
On January 4, 2021, the Cornelius City Council, in partnership with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, named Lieutenant Bob Ray the new Chief of Police for the city.
Chief Ray has nearly 23 years of experience in law enforcement, serving most of that time in leadership positions. In addition to his many years as a Patrol Sergeant, Chief Ray was the Public Information Officer for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office from 2012 through 2017. Recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Chief Ray supervised three of our municipal partners in Washington County.
According to Cornelius City Manager Rob Drake, “The City of Cornelius is pleased to have Bob Ray serve as our new Police Chief. He brings a broad depth of experience to the position, has supervised the other contract cities of Banks, Gaston and North Plains, and has a positive and approachable style to serving the public. Chief Ray is serving on the Sheriff’s Office Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team (DEI) and is very supportive of bringing his cultural outreach efforts and sensitivity to his work in Cornelius.”
The Sheriff’s Office has provided police services to the City of Cornelius since 2014. The department serves more than 12,000 residents with 13 employees, patrolling an area of 2.2 square miles.
Chief Ray replaces former Chief John Bennett, who has been promoted to Commander of the Services Division at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
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