The new police chief for Plant City Police Department (PCPD) will be Richard Mills, Jr. Mills, who currently oversees the Special Operations Division of the Tampa Police Department, will take the reins from current Chief of Police James Bradford on July 8, 2024. City Manager Bill McDaniel selected Mills from a group of five finalists.
“Richard Mills brings a wealth of municipal law enforcement leadership experience, including command of a large division comprising numerous specialty units and operations,” said McDaniel. “He also is familiar with the law enforcement community of the greater Tampa Bay region, and those contacts will be invaluable in his role as our next Chief of Police.”
“I am humbled by my selection, and I look forward to continuing my life of public service as the Police Chief of the Plant City Police Department,” Mills said. “My primary goal will be to make sure the Plant City Police Department continues to be viewed by the community as an agency of excellence, innovation, and community partnership. With a focus on cops, community, and collaboration, we will unite to ensure Plant City remains safe, vibrant, and inclusive for all residents.”
“Rich Mills is a true leader born with the heart of a public servant. His dedication to community policing has been instrumental in fostering positive relationships between officers and residents for decades. He is an outstanding selection to lead the men and women of the Plant City Police Department as Chief of Police, and I am certain the entire Plant City community he will soon take oath to protect and serve will appreciate his contributions as much as those in the City of Tampa. Knowing that he developed many current leaders who will carry on his legacy of commitment to ensuring the safety of others is a gift he leaves with the Tampa Police Department as he begins his next chapter. The entire Tampa Police Department wishes him well and we know he will make as positive an impact on Plant City as he has on the City of Tampa,” Chief Lee Bercaw, Tampa Police Department.
In addition, something has been brewing that is just as significant as bringing on a new police chief. Plant City management has also been working on restructuring the PCPD. McDaniel said he took advantage of the high quality of the candidates to hire two of the other finalists to take roles in PCPD. Justin Duralia, currently Supervisory Special Agent, Drug Enforcement Administration, Tampa; and Joseph Centanni, Chief of Police, City of Watervliet, NY, will assume positions as Deputy Chiefs—roles that are new within PCPD.
“For the Deputy Chiefs I based my selection on a combination of experience, leadership, and knowledge of law enforcement—plus particular skill sets that I thought they could bring to the table that would help us enhance our operations within the department and be a service to the community,” said McDaniel. “Adding the two Deputy Chief positions enhances the leadership and operational capabilities of our police department.”
Justin Duralia has over 20 years of experience handling investigations and major cases. Joseph Centanni brings extensive experience in municipal policing, leadership, policy development, and other skills that will be valuable to PCPD. Clearly continued growth is in Plant City’s future and city services will need to keep up. “Our police department is going to grow,” added McDaniel. “I am convinced that it needs to grow not only quantitatively in the number of personnel, but it needs to grow qualitatively as well. In my view, what I have done here accelerates the qualitative growth of our department by about 10 years. I believe infusing this new leadership structure will only increase the horsepower behind the Departments’ ability to meet the coming demands and continue to provide excellent service to the community.”
McDaniel offered to the community an opportunity to meet and greet the candidates on Thursday, April 25, so Plant Citians could have input into the process. In the informal setting, those who attended could have conversations with the candidates and fill out comment cards to offer their observations of the candidates. “I found the shared impressions people were willing to provide to be very valuable and they certainly went into my deliberations,” commented McDaniel. “This is a process I like and I see a great deal of benefit from it. I will continue to use that tool in future selections where it is applicable.”
Chief Bradford has agreed to extend his tenure until July 8 to make for a smooth transition. He will work on a handoff plan and will be in communication with Mills between now and July 8 to make sure Mills is up to speed on the things he needs to know as the incoming chief. “I will also take this opportunity to thank and commend Chief Bradford for his service to date,” said City Manager McDaniel. “He has led our department well and I think that we have an opportunity for a very successful change of command within the police department.”