NEWS RELEASE Contact: Chief Cynthia McAlister
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE cmcalister@purcellvilleva.gov
PURCELLVILLE POLICE ANNOUNCE SWEARING-IN OF NEW OFFICERS
PURCELLVILLE, Va., December 16, 2022 — On Thursday, December 15th, the Purcellville Police Department held a swearing in ceremony for their two new officers. The ceremony took place at the Town Hall Council Chambers and was attended by members of the Purcellville Police Department, Town staff, as well as Blue Ridge District Supervisor, Tony Buffington and the Honorable Clerk of Loudoun Circuit Court, Mr. Gary Clemens.
The Purcellville Police Department swore in their new hires, Carl Benjamin Nett and Belaal Khan, who successfully completed the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy (NVCJTA). Their official NVCJTA graduation ceremony from the 147th Session will take place on Monday, December 19, 2022. The challenging six month long academy program for police officers and sheriff deputies from the Northern Virginia area covered numerous law enforcement principals and procedures, including criminal investigation, legal, patrol, and practical skills. Major components of the performance-based training include first-aid, CPR, crisis intervention, control tactics, firearms training, and driver training. Officers Nett and Khan will undergo an additional three months of field training with the Purcellville Police Department before being released as solo patrol officers.
Officer Khan recently moved from New Jersey to join the Purcellville Police Department, where he was previously an auxiliary police officer for four years. While in New Jersey, Officer Khan also volunteered at the Bogota Rescue Department, and was a crossing guard for the Bogota Police Department. In addition, Officer Khan speaks and reads several languages including Urdu and a dialect of Arabic.
Officer Nett comes to the Purcellville Police Department with over 20 years of national security and law enforcement experience. Officer Nett first started with the Presidential Protective Division of the U.S. Secret Service, graduating from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico and the Secret Service Training Academy in Beltsville, Maryland. He then supported the National Clandestine Service of the CIA for six years. In addition, Officer Nett spent ten years leading a Pentagon mission at the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.
Please join the Purcellville Police Department in welcoming our newest officers.
The Town of Purcellville, Virginia
“Purcellville-your small Town, where history and progress intersect and people prosper,” is an award-winning town of approximately 10,000 residents located in Loudoun County, approximately 50 miles west of Washington, DC. Having received the 2021 Virginia Municipal League Innovation Award for Environmental Sustainability and in years past, the prestigious Siemens Sustainability Award for Small Communities, Purcellville continues to be honored for innovation and green initiatives. The Town most recently received the Tree City USA Award for the 14th consecutive year. The Town was reaffirmed as a AAA rated community by S&P Global Ratings, the highest credit rating possible, and was ranked “Safest City” in Virginia in 2020. Once a stop along the W&OD rail line, which has been converted to a multi-use trail from Alexandria, VA to Purcellville, the Town has maintained its historic old-town feel through the restoration and maintenance of its many downtown structures, reflecting the Victorian architecture popular during the early 1900s. Today, Purcellville is the economic hub of western Loudoun County and a popular weekend destination for antiquing, equestrian activities, farmer’s markets, wineries, breweries, distilleries and restaurants. More info at www.purcellvilleva.gov.
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