2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 15
Commending Richard D. Hinkley.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 26, 2026
WHEREAS, Richard D. Hinkley, an esteemed law-enforcement officer and police chief emeritus of the Liberty University Police Department, retired in 2025; and
WHEREAS, Richard Hinkley served his country honorably for four years as a member of the United States Air Force before attending Liberty University from 1977 to 1981, where he pursued a bachelor's degree in youth ministry; and
WHEREAS, as a bus driver with Liberty University's transit services, Richard Hinkley developed a friendship with Liberty University's chief of security David Heerspink, which inspired him to join the Liberty University security department in 1979; and
WHEREAS, after serving as both a corrections officer and deputy with the Clinton County Sheriff's Office in Plattsburgh, New York, from 1990 to 1996, Richard Hinkley returned to the Liberty University Police Department (LUPD) for the remainder of his career; and
WHEREAS, Richard Hinkley supported the LUPD in various capacities and was then promoted to chief of police in February 2009 after training under the previous chief, Howard Gregory; and
WHEREAS, Richard Hinkley's tenure as the chief of the LUPD was marked by his commitment to ensuring that the department achieved both state and national standards and that its officers prioritized developing positive working relationships with students; and