After a seven-month vacancy, the city of Fort Pierce has a new police chief.
The city commission on Monday unanimously approved the hiring of David Smith to lead the Fort Pierce Police Department.
Smith is the former commander of Eastern District Operations for the Prince William County Police Department in Virginia.
Last week, Fort Pierce City Manager Richard Chess announced that Smith was his choice to lead the agency.
Smith has 24 years of law enforcement experience, including leadership in patrol operations, strategic planning and community engagement.
The position has been unfilled since Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney resigned in May. Her resignation came after a report made an extensive request for recommendations for the agency, even though it found the agency performed quality law enforcement services.
The Fort Pierce Police Officers Union announced in October that they supported the city choosing acting Deputy Chief Caleb Gillette to become the next head of the department. However, he was not among the finalists announced on Friday.
WPTV also obtained a union survey revealing a deep dissatisfaction among Fort Pierce police officers, who critiqued the chief over her lack of visibility within the department and a “hostile” work environment.
WPTV anchor Meghan McRoberts also reported on an internal investigation that found decades of mismanaged evidence, ultimately leading to cases being dropped or people losing personal belongings.
According to a spokesperson for the city of Fort Pierce, the city spent about $25,000 on a search firm to hire the next police chief.
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