Crime & Safety
Former Lisle Police Chief Heads to Town Made Famous in Trayvon Martin Case
Richard Myers headed to Sanford, Fla., as interim chief of embattled police department. He served as head of the Lisle department in the early 1990's.
A former police chief for the Village of Lisle has been hired as the interim police chief in Sanford, Fla. — the town that received national attention when neighborhood crime-watch volunteer George Zimmerman was arrested in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Richard Myers served as chief of the from 1991-1995. He also held posts as chief in Plymouth, Mich., Appleton, Wisc., and several other law enforcement positions in Michigan, according to his public profile on LinkedIn. He is a graduate of and attended school at and Michigan State University, the profile stated.
Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte announced Myers' hiring Tuesday, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The newspaper reported that Myers will run the department for at least three months.
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The Sanford Police Department has been without a chief since March, when Bill Lee stepped aside as the police chief amid controversy surrounding the Martin case; Lee remains on paid leave, according to reports. The department has been widely criticized for not immediately arresting Zimmerman.
In a statement released by the city of Sanford, 57-year-old Myers said: "I intend on being an active leader, and there will be nothing interim about the need to move quickly to better understand the issues that the department and the community are facing."
Find out what's happening in Lislewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett praised Myers' hiring, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
"He is highly credentialed," Triplett told the newspaper.
Myers retired in November as police chief in Colorado Springs, Col., according to the Denver Post. He then became interim chief in Manitou Springs, Col.
Other reports:
- ABC 7 News: New Sanford police chief once led Lisle department
- Huffington Post: Richard Myers Named New Sanford Police Chief Amid Discord Between Officials, Cops
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