Police Chief Ruben Garcia is scheduled to retire at the end of December after having led the agency for four years.
Garcia has served more than 35 years at the city’s police department.
A 10-member Chief of Police Interview Panel that includes a mix of interested community members as well as city employees whose jobs put them in close interaction with the police department. The panel’s first scheduled meeting is Friday.
The two internal candidates who have applied to take leadership of the police agency are Assistant Chiefs Hans Lehman and Sammy Taylor.
Hans Lehman
Lehman, a Lakeland native, has served with the city’s police department for more than 25 years. Lehman started his professional career as a deputy with Polk County Sheriff’s Office before being hired by LPD in 1996.
Lehman has worked in a wide variety of departments from hiring to criminal investigations.
Sammy Taylor
Taylor has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. He was hired by Lakeland Police Department in 1989. Throughout his career, Taylor has supervised officers in communications, criminal investigations, investigative services, and special operations and uniform patrol divisions.
Who’s on the selection panel?
- Ryan Back, president of the Lakeland chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police
- William Boss, of the nonprofit Concerned Citizens of Polk County.
- Doretha Brooks, secretary of the NAACP’s Lakeland branch.
- Financial Director Mike Brossart.
- Assistant City Manager Emily Colón.
- City Attorney Palmer Davis.
- Lakeland Fire Chief Doug Riley.
- Tonya Rogers, president of the Historic Dixieland association.
- Shandale Terrell, chair of the city’s Police Citizens Advisory Board.
- Julie Townsend, executive director of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority.
The panel will finalize their list of questions for the candidates. Lehman and Taylor are expected to meet with the panel to answer questions.
On Sept. 30 after a few days’ consideration to provide their feedback to city staff. Sherrouse said he will have a better idea whether they are moving forward with an internal candidate or need to cast a wider look. If Lehman or Taylor is chosen, Sherrouse said he would expect to make that decision in October.
I am betting it will be a black person from what I am seeing. Lakeland is so scared that someone will call them a racist so they cave in. The Job should go the the best person to do the job no matter sex or skin color. We will be watching you lakeland. No more race baiting or color picking. We are all one.
I bet you will remove it and not publish it because I bet you are one of them. Lets see. I said nothing wrong in this post so lets see.