New Virginia State Police superintendent sworn in

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The new superintendent of the Virginia State Police has been sworn in.

State Police Lt. Col. Gary Settle took the oath of office Thursday, taking over the top job from retiring Col. W. Steven Flaherty.

Settle is a 32-year law enforcement veteran who previously served as the director for the agency's Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

He will lead a department with 2,118 sworn and 848 civilian personnel, and an authorized $340 million operating budget for fiscal year 2018.

Flaherty announced his retirement in December after decades of service.

The agency has faced criticism for its role in responding to a violent white nationalist rally this summer in Charlottesville, but a spokeswoman said at the time that Flaherty's departure had been long planned and was unrelated.

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