Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has appointed Eric Smith as the replacement for Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón, who announced his retirement last week.
A 27-year Orlando Police Department veteran, Smith will serve as the city’s 40th Police Chief.
“Over the past three years, under the leadership of Chief Rolón, OPD has continued to aggressively fight crime, innovate with new technology and further increase transparency with our community,” said Mayor Dyer. “It’s been an honor to work together with Chief Rolón to protect and serve our citizens throughout his tenure with the Orlando Police Department.”
Smith, who has been a deputy chief for eight years, will oversee day-to-day operations of the department and serve as chief counsel to the Mayor in matters of public safety.
During his tenure with the Orlando Police Department, Smith has worked in or supervised three of the four Department Bureaus and ten of the Department’s eleven Divisions. Most recently, Smith served as the Bureau Commander for the Patrol Services Bureau, the largest section of OPD that is comprised of more than 500 sworn officers. He also serves as OPD’s High-Risk Incident Commander where he leads the SWAT Team, Crisis Negotiations Team, Emergency Response Team, Emergency Services Team, and the Crisis Intervention Team.
In addition to his regular job assignments, Smith also served more than 19 years as member of the SWAT Team, including the position of Team Commander. Smith is a graduate of the 269th Session of the FBI National Academy and has also completed the FBI Florida Executive Development Program.
Rolón’s last day in the office will be August 19. His retirement is effective on November 1. After Rolón’s last day in the office, Smith will serve as Acting Chief and assume the position of Chief of Police on November 2, according to city officials.