Suffolk Police Department Capt. Mark Erie graduated from the Professional Executive Leadership School 41st Session on Nov. 16.

The Professional Executive Leadership School program is an intensive three-week leadership education program conducted in cooperation with the University of Richmond. This program is designed for individuals who currently serve in command or executive level positions within their agencies. The objective of the program is to acquaint participants with best practices in leadership, challenge them to reflect upon their own leadership competency and examine ways of achieving both personal and professional growth.

Erie joined the Suffolk Police Department on April 16, 1999, and graduated from the Chesapeake Public Safety Academy at the top of his class. Erie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Mercyhurst University.

In 2002, Erie was recognized as Officer of the Second Quarter. He was promoted to the rank of Master Police Officer in 2005. Erie continued his career in Uniformed Patrol as an informal leader with the rank of Master Police Officer while continuing to train new officers until he was promoted to the rank of sergeant in March 2010.

During his tenure as a sergeant, he remained within the Uniform Patrol Division and was awarded Supervisor of the Year in 2010. In November 2011, Erie was transferred from Uniformed Patrol and assigned to The Professional Standards Division, where he was the supervisor over training, accreditation and inspections. During his tenure in the Professional Standards Unit, he received training from James Madison University in basic internal affairs. Erie continued to supervise training, accreditation and inspections while also filling the void to the Internal Affairs Unit. Erie continued working in Professional Standards in a dual role until his promotion to lieutenant in September of 2013.

Captain Erie was once again assigned to Uniformed Patrol when he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant until September 2014, when he was transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division as the supervisor in charge of the Special Investigations Section. Erie continued in this capacity until his transfer back to Uniformed Patrol in March 2016.

Erie was promoted to the rank of captain on Jan. 15, 2017. He currently serves as the captain of the Criminal Investigations Unit and oversees the Detective Bureau, Special Investigations and CSI.