Chief Joseph Hill

A Native of Cincinnati Ohio, Chief Joseph R. Hill entered the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Academy (Reserve) in June of 1984 during his Naval military service. Chief Hill joined the Fairfax County Police Department in October of 1988. After 28 years of dedicated service, Hill retired from Fairfax County in 2016 to take the top leadership spot in the Horry County Police Department.

During his law enforcement career Chief Hill has been exposed to several levels of leadership to include command of the following units and bureaus:

  • First Line Supervisor
  • Volunteer and Auxiliary Unit Coordinator
  • Police Liaison Commander
  • Assistant Director of Fairfax County’s 911 Center
  • Precinct Commander for the Mount Vernon and West Springfield Communities in Fairfax County, Virginia
  • Director of the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy
  • Major of the Administrative Services Bureau

As the Commander of the Administrative Services Bureau, Hill oversaw the budget, the department’s robust recruiting efforts, resources of 1402 sworn members and 175 civilian staff, a background section of 32 employees and the state and federal grants section of the police department. Hill’s exposure to these varied leadership roles prepared him assume the role as Chief of the Horry County Police Department which he was appointed to on September 23, 2016.

Chief Hill is dedicated to ethical leadership training and education for executive professionals in the field of Law Enforcement. Hill serves as a mentor to other senior and executive members of police agencies worldwide through his Counter Terrorism instruction with the U.S. State Department's Anti-Terror Assistance Program (ATA). He teaches Police and Military commanders abroad and has travelled to over 13 countries, and counting, teaching counter terror operations and ethical leadership. Hill is a member of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives, International Association of Chiefs of Police, and South Carolina Chief's Association.

Hill is an honor graduate from the University of Richmond where he received his undergraduate degree in HR and leadership. He earned his Master’s Certificate with honors at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Chief Hill also graduated from the prestigious FBI National Academy, session 256.