The James City County Police Department announced on May 7 the retirement of Detective Gennie Bellas after a career spanning 26 years.
Bellas’s retirement marks the end of a long tenure that included several key roles and contributions to both the department and the wider community. Her work is notable for its focus on child victims and her involvement in specialized investigations.
Originally from Ford City, Pennsylvania, Bellas began her law enforcement career as the department’s first citizen recruit in the Auxiliary Basic Law Enforcement Academy at the Hampton Roads Regional Academy of Criminal Justice before being hired as a police recruit. Over her career, she served as a Crisis Hostage Negotiator and later became a Field Training Officer, mentoring new officers before her promotion to detective.
As a detective, Bellas specialized in cases involving children. She was trained as an advanced forensic interviewer of children and became the department’s first specialized detective in what would become its Special Victims Unit. She also led departmental efforts with federal initiatives such as the FBI’s Innocent Images National Initiative and worked with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Her community involvement included participation with local coalitions focused on child abuse prevention and advisory work for children’s advocacy organizations.
Bellas received several awards during her service, including Officer of the Year, Law Enforcement Advocate of the Year, multiple Investigating Service Awards, Meritorious Service Award, Distinguished Service Award, and Virginia Office of the Attorney General’s Unsung Heroes Award.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Bellas said she is most proud of her roles outside work: “Gennie is most proud of her roles as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend.” The department extended its thanks for her years of service and wished her well in retirement.
