Interim City Manager David Sollenberger announced June 20 the appointment of Edward E. Duncan Jr. to serve as Plant City’s new police chief.
Duncan will assume leadership of the Plant City Police Department July 7. He has a long history of law enforcement experience and leadership, including 34 years with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, before retiring in 2012 at the rank of colonel.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Duncan said. “I’m young enough to still make an impact on the community. It gives me the opportunity to continue the passion I have.”
The appointment comes after a months-long recruitment and screening process facilitated by The Mercer Group Inc. That process resulted in about 80 applications, which were screened to compare the backgrounds of the applicants against the needs of the city.
As a result of that screening process, six finalists were identified for further consideration. On June 18, the finalists participated in a comprehensive two-part screening exercise, which included a detailed interview conducted by a panel of both city staff and members of the community. Those panelists included Sollenberger; Assistant City Manager of Public Safety Bill McDaniel; John Borders, interim police chief; Sanders Bush, director of human resources; Cassandra Banning, community leader; William “Bill” Thomas, community leader; and W.D. Higginbotham, senior vice president, The Mercer Group Inc.
“He brings to the position a wealth of experience and wisdom that will benefit both our police department and the community as a whole,” Bill wrote of Duncan in a prepared statement.
Duncan said he is excited to deploy his hands-on style of leadership at the department. His first steps will be to study the geographical map of Plant City in relation to the rates of crime.
“I want to get out there, get a grasp on what is truly going on from the front lines,” Duncan said. “Throughout my years of service, I have been a hands-on commander.”
He also will look at the patrol division, because it is the face of the agency. He doesn’t foresee any major overhauls or changes to the department.
Another key, he said, is communication with the community.
“If you don’t have an investment with the department in the community and the community in the department, then you’re going to have a break down,” Duncan said.
Duncan was hired after former Police Chief Steven Singletary was fired for using department time to engage in an extramarital affair. Duncan doesn’t think the scandal tarnished the department’s reputation beyond repair.
“I do not see a deterioration in the confidence the general community has for the police department,” Duncan said.
He did extend an offer to the public to come to him with concerns.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.