Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The day Master Detective Larry Rilee retired from the Newport News Homicide Unit; the city endured a tremendous loss. Gloucester is fortunate. The county has the opportunity to elect an experienced police professional, a genuine leader and one of the smartest men I’ve ever met.

For many years, I led the N.N. Homicide Unit with Rilee on my team. He was a natural choice for the most serious and complex criminal cases … the cases that rip into the hearts of families, and make national news.

Rilee’s leadership, organizational and economic skills are outstanding. As a Master Detective he served as leader of the Homicide Unit when I was absent. Therein he developed new, cost-effective work schedules and even created a method for using retired detectives to assist in cold case investigation. I cannot describe my comfort knowing he was on my team, and then in charge when I took leave.

Having experienced three decades of policing in a high-c...