New Chief, Deputy Chiefs, tell their resons for taking roles here.
Deputy Chief Justin C. Duralia worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration for over 24 years. Most recently his role was Supervisory Special Agent in Tampa.
“I have a special connection with Plant City—my wife’s family. She is a fifth generation Floridian from Plant City. I have a mother-in-law that lives here, a brother-in-law, nieces, and nephews. So, I have a vested interest, not only in what happens in Plant City now, but what happens with Plant City moving forward. So, it’s a special place to me and my family. There is no other place that I would rather work. In addition to my family’s connection to the city, it’s the community itself that drew me to want to work here. The citizens of Plant City display a level of support for their police department that you, unfortunately, don’t see in many other cities today…. As a Supervisory Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), I was able to address a very significant crime issue on a global scale….While I thoroughly enjoyed a mission that had an international focus, I now feel a strong sense of satisfaction from being involved in policies and programs that have more of a local impact. I like knowing that the actions I take will have a direct, positive effect on the same people I interact with here daily…. The DEA and Plant City Police Department have had a strong partnership for many years, and I have always known Plant City PD to be a well-respected and professional law enforcement organization. It’s that reputation and the quality of personnel that work here that made coming to Plant City an easy decision for me.”
Deputy Chief Joseph L. Centanni has been a police officer for 29 years, most recently in the position of Chief of Police for the City of Watervliet, NY.
“I have wanted to be a Florida law enforcement officer since the age of 14—it’s been a lifelong dream of mine. I visited family at the age of 14 in New Port Richey. The moment my feet hit the ground in this state, I absolutely loved it. So much so that when I was in high school, my friends were writing in my yearbook, ‘Good luck in Florida.’ I came down. I tested well. But, I am a first generation police officer, and my mother was concerned about me serving so far away, so she asked me to serve closer. That is how I ended up in Troy, NY. I spent 30 years in the State of New York as a law enforcement officer. As far as Plant City, it’s been a goal of mine the last few years to transition from New York to Florida law enforcement to fulfill that dream. We love to stay in Florida. Plant City is growing. It’s a thriving city. And most importantly, the police department has amazing police officers that are hard-working. All the research that I did says a lot of great things about the City and the officers. So, I am happy to be one of the executive leaders, and move the City forward with my two colleagues. I am happy to say that 34 years later, I have my mother’s blessing to fulfill my dream. That is why I sought out this position. She is looking forward to her first Strawberry Festival—and of course, getting away from the brutal February, New York winter.
Chief Richard Mills, Jr. has served in law enforcement since 1992. His most recent role was as a major, overseeing the 350 officers in the Tampa Police Department Special Operations Division.
“I was born in Washington, D.C, lived in Maryland, but moved to Tampa when I was seven or eight years old. I grew up in Tampa. I graduated from Robinson High School and went straight into the military. After my commitment to the United States Army, I came back to Tampa, and ended up working in detention with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). I eventually worked my way over to the Tampa Police Department. I enjoyed serving the citizens of Tampa for 30 years, but I had to retire—just the way things are set up over there. So, I was going to be done with law enforcement, but it’s not out of my system yet. I love being a cop. I love serving my community. I have always worked with Plant City. We have had a very good working relationship, and I have always been drawn to Plant City because it is a small town—it has a small town feel. I have worked with the officers on several different details. They have been phenomenal. Ed Duncan (former Plant City Chief of Police) was actually a mentor of mine. I looked up to him. I had a lot of respect for him. And I was very close to Chief Bradford. I have worked a lot with him. He thought I would be a good fit here. He told me that this is a place I would want to work. So, I did my research. I did background checks, and talked to a lot of people. It just seemed to be a really, really, really good fit in Plant City. I was telling the Deputy Chiefs the other day that, when we were going through the (hiring) process together, and we got to meet and greet the department heads, the city manager, the mayor, and more importantly, the community, it seemed like this is where I am supposed to be
