Interim Chief
Deputy Chief Rod Pollard
Rod.Pollard@harrisonburgva.gov
Rod Pollard serves as Deputy Chief of Support Services and has been with HPD for 25 years. He has held many roles during his tenure, such as Operations Bureau Commander, Criminal Investigations Division Commander, SWAT Commander, Patrol Operations Division Commander, Special Operations Division Commander, and other leadership positions within the department. As the Deputy Chief of Support Services, he is responsible for recruitment, hiring, testing, professional development, and training for the department. He also oversees numerous divisions – such as Traffic, Professional Standards, and the Community Resources Unit, among other responsibilities. Pollard is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Southern Police Institute Command Officer Development Course and has worked in the area since first serving as a Deputy Sheriff at the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office in 1994. He began several initiatives with HPD, including the Tactical Patrol Unit program, the Mental Illness Crisis Team and the Shop with a Cop event, and has served as a coordinator for the Restorative Justice program, among other leadership initiatives.
Special Operations Bureau Commander
Interim Captain Chris Monahan
Chris.Monahan@harrisonburgva.gov
Captain Chris Monahan has over 24 years of law enforcement experience, including 11 years with the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office and the past 13 with the Harrisonburg Police Department. He has served many roles since beginning his career, serving as Jail Deputy, Patrol Deputy, and a member of the RUSH Drug Task Force. His leadership roles include Patrol and Community Resource Sergeant, Special Operations Commander, and Criminal Investigations Commander. He is currently the Bureau Commander over Special Operations, overseeing several critical areas including the Criminal Investigative Division, Traffic Division, Community Resource Unit, School Resource Officers, Police K-9 units, and Victim Services. As SWAT Team Commander, he draws on years of experience as a SWAT Team Member, Team Leader, and firearms instructor. Educationally, Captain Monahan holds an Associate’s degree from Finger Lakes Community College and a Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University. He further advanced his knowledge at the National Criminal Justice Command College at the University of Virginia and completed the FBI Trilogy series. As a long-time Public Information Officer, Captain Monahan has completed extensive training, including FBI Basic and Advanced courses, earning his Master Public Information Officer designation through the University of Tennessee.
Patrol Operations Bureau Commander
Interim Captain Charles Grubbs
charles.grubbs@harrisonburgva.gov
Interim Captain Grubbs serves as the patrol Operations Division Commander for the Harrisonburg Police Department, where he has dedicated his entire 22-year law enforcement career. Over the years, he has gained extensive experience in Operations and the Community Resource Unit, steadily progressing through the ranks—promoted to Corporal in 2010, Sergeant in 2013, Lieutenant in 2020, and Interim Captain in 2025. He earned a Bachelor of Science in History with a minor in Anthropology from Radford University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice with a focus on Law Enforcement Leadership from Liberty University. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command (Class #431), where he received the Kreml Leadership Award. Additionally, he has completed the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy. Outside of my professional duties, he remains committed to community service and formerly served as the safety chair on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Harrisonburg and Rockingham.
Administrative Bureau Commander
Interim Captain Chris Watson
Chris.Watson@harrisonburgva.gov
Interim Captain Chris Watson was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley and has been with the Harrisonburg Police Department since 2002. He has served a variety of roles in the department, including the C.H.A.R.G.E. Gang Task Force, Corporal over Community Action, Corporal over Internal Affairs, Sergeant over the Professional Standards Unit, Patrol Lieutenant, and most recently, Administrative Division Lieutenant. He spent the majority of his career in the R.U.S.H. Drug Task Force, working to identify, target, investigate, and prosecute those individuals and organizations that distribute and or manufacture quantities of narcotics in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County area. Captain Watson has also been instrumental in the creation and implementation of many department programs, like the Weed and Seed Initiative, the Asset Forfeiture Program, and the Field Training Program. He has served in a variety of specialties, including K9, Honor Guard Commander, Bike Patrol, and Field Training Officer. Captain Watson completed the National Criminal Justice Command College (NCJCC) through the University of Virginia, the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy (Supervisory Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute, and Executive Leadership Institute), and is a DCJS Certified General Instructor.