Alexandria police officer Beatriz Riggle highlights trust-building and representation

Beatriz Riggle, a City of Alexandria police officer and SSPBA Alexandria Chapter executive vice president, is being profiled for her community-centered approach to policing and leadership. Her story spotlights how representation, language skills and union leadership are shaping daily public safety work in Virginia.

Why it matters: - Beatriz Riggle’s profile highlights how community-centered policing can build trust through everyday interactions, not just enforcement. - Riggle’s role as a woman and multiracial officer in a first responder field underscores the representation gap in law enforcement. - Her work also shows how bilingual officers can help connect departments with diverse communities.

What happened: - Riggle serves as a police officer with the City of Alexandria, Virginia, where she works as a beat officer. - She also serves as Executive Vice President of the SSPBA Alexandria Chapter. - Riggle negotiated the second three-year collective bargaining agreement, which took effect on July 1, 2026. - She facilitates team-building classes twice a year for new Alexandria police officers graduating from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy. - Influential Women profiled Riggle for her leadership, service and representation in policing. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile.

The details: - Riggle has five years of law enforcement experience. - Her stated focus includes patrol work, collective bargaining and leadership. - She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from The Catholic University of America. - Her undergraduate minors were Theology, Studio Art and Philosophy. - She completed a summer abroad at the Universidad de Granada, where she studied Spanish and Islamic civilization and culture. - Riggle is fluent in English and Spanish. - Before joining law enforcement, she worked with Public Allies and later The Platform of Hope in Washington, D.C. - Those roles involved supporting families, coordinating programs and deepening her community engagement work. - Riggle graduated from the police academy in 2021 and joined the City of Alexandria Police Department. - She was diagnosed with a memory disability as a teenager and said she had to build skills to stay competitive. - Riggle said she has learned to stay comfortable being uncomfortable and to keep working through setbacks. - She said a close friend’s advice that hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard continues to motivate her.

Between the lines: - Riggle’s background in sociology, theology, art, philosophy and language studies suggests a policing style shaped by communication as much as enforcement. - Her emphasis on fairness, respect and dignity reflects a broader shift toward relationship-based policing in local departments. - Her union leadership adds another layer to her role, giving her influence over both officer advocacy and internal communication. - Riggle’s comments also point to the pressure women face in male-dominated fields, where underestimation can become another barrier to advancement. - She said being multiracial and multicultural gives her an opportunity to relate to residents from different backgrounds and strengthen trust.

What's next: - Riggle said she plans to keep focusing on patrol, leadership and community engagement. - She continues to encourage young women entering law enforcement to push past limits others place on them. - Her role in training new officers suggests she will keep shaping department culture for the next generation of Alexandria police.

The bottom line: - Riggle’s profile frames modern policing as a combination of service, representation and daily relationship-building, with trust earned one interaction at a time.