Police Department

Office of the Chief of Police provides the leadership and vision directing all Police Department activities and operations. The Chiefs’ Office includes the Police Chief, Carlos Noriega, the Deputy Police Chief, Samuel Bejar and the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police, Ms. Ana Gonzalez.  In addition to the day to day responsibilities of managing a full service, 24/7 police agency, the Office of the Police Chief is also responsible for coordinating all departmental training, fleet and quartermaster activities. The Office of the Police Chief also encompasses Professional Compliance related matters, including Internal Affairs, Background Investigations and Property & Evidence.

The Field Operations Division is the most visible and varied component of the Department, consistently delivering superior public safety services and performing first-line duties and responsibilities. The three primary areas of the Division are the Patrol Section, the Investigations Section, and the Code Enforcement Office. Field Operations are commanded by two Lieutenants James McCready, Brian Collins who share responsibility for the efficient operation of the Division and its personnel.

The Patrol Section is comprised of multiple squads, each of which has an assigned supervisor. Patrol squads work 12 hour shifts responding to a variety of community needs and calls for service, which may be dispatched, assigned, or self-initiated. Patrol operations are further enhanced through a variety of specialized functions/assignments including Marine Patrol, Traffic Enforcement, Police Motorcycle, K-9 and Bike Patrol.

The Investigations Section is staffed by both fulltime and part-time Detectives, and a Public Safety Specialist/Crime Scene Technician. The Section investigates a variety of cases, the majority of which are generated through the work of the Patrol Section. Additionally, the Detectives are routinely assigned to conduct special investigations, background investigations and undercover operations.

The Patrol and Investigations Sections of the Field Operations Division routinely coordinate and work with local, state and federal law enforcement partners to address public safety concerns, enhance operations and share law enforcement intelligence.

The Support Operations Division is a critical administrative component of the Police Department with responsibilities that support both internal and external needs of the Agency.  The Division is comprised of three areas, Communications Unit, Accreditation Office. The Communications Unit is under the direction of a Communications Supervisor  managing a team of Call Takers assigned to various shifts delivering 24/7 coverage. The Communications Unit provides essential communications capabilities for all police personnel, members of the public requesting any public safety or Village assistance, and liaisons with all our law enforcement partners. The Records Clerk, who maintains the Police Department public records, is also part of the communications unit. The Records Clerk assists the public during regular business hours with requests for copies of reports as authorized by Florida law.

The Accreditation Office is responsible for leading the Agency’s efforts to attain accreditation with the State of Florida through the Commission of Florida Accreditation, Inc. (CFA). The Accreditation Office is directed by the Department’s Accreditation Manager, Richard Weissman who works in tandem with the Accreditation Coordinator, Don Yarbrough to address the multitude of organizational areas that need to be considered in order meet the appropriate CFA requirements. The Department is currently undergoing its first ever accreditation process. Accreditation is the utilization of police industry best practices to manage a law enforcement agency. Accreditation standards provide norms against which agency performance can be measured and monitored over time as well as providing objective measures to justify decisions related to budget requests and personnel policies.  Accreditation streamlines operations, providing more consistency and more effective deployment of agency manpower. It involves developing cutting edge Standard Operation Procedures, requires that those policies and procedures are in written form, available to all agency personnel at all times, and assures employees that every aspect of the agency’s personnel system is in accord with professional standards and that the system is both fair and equitable.