City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer officially swore in new Orlando Police Chief Eric D. Smith on Wednesday morning.
Smith was officially sworn in as the 40th Orlando Police Chief during a change of command ceremony held at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Smith has served for the Orlando Police Department for over 28 years, most recently as the Deputy Chief of Police for the Patrol Services Bureau, where he oversaw more than 500 members of the department. Smith has worked in nearly every aspect of the department, including serving as High-Risk Incident Commander for more than seven years, K9 handler, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation Commander, and a member of the SWAT team for more than 19 years.
“It is my goal to not only make sure the neighborhoods are safe, but also that our Officers are part of the community,” said Smith during the ceremony. “In addition to furthering our community policing efforts, we’ll continue to work to reduce violent crime, remove crime guns from our streets and further our efforts to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the city we serve.”