DeLeo Resigns, Outlaw to Serve as Interim Chief

On June 12th Police Chief Michael DeLeo notified Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad he planned to resign effective July 6. Goad announced that Major Steve Outlaw, a 32 year veteran of TPD, will serve as Interim Chief and a nationwide search will begin immediately to permanently fill the position.

In his resignation letter to the city, DeLeo said he was “presented with an opportunity to address criminal justice and homeland security issues on a national scale while having additional time with my family.”

In the letter he also noted he had served three mayors, three city managers, and three assistant city managers.

DeLeo addressed accomplishments during his five year tenure, which included a 28% drop in violent crime and a 14% increase in solved cases. He also said the agency’s response time had dropped to five minutes–four minutes shorter than when he was first appointed.

DeLeo served during a period when Tallahassee’s crime rate led the state of Florida for three consecutive years and when the city commission voted to hire more officers.

Recently, allegations of racial discrimination in promotion practices where lodged by members of the police union. The allegations were never verified.

However, last month DeLeo’s actions were the focus of an arbitrator’s ruling which overturned his dismissal of a police officer.

City Manager Reese Goad said, “I would like to thank Chief DeLeo for his five years of public service to the citizens of Tallahassee. During this time, many strides have been made to enhance public safety, including the implementation of a variety of community oriented policing strategies and citizen focused initiatives.”