7 Candidates Vying to Be Next Ft. Lauderdale Chief

Seven contenders are in line to lead Fort Lauderdale’s police department.

The Sun Sentinel reports the list of candidates includes Interim Chief Karen Dietrich, a veteran Fort Lauderdale officer who came up through the ranks; Craig Capri, former chief in Daytona Beach; Todd Chamberlain, a former Los Angeles school police chief and retired commander with the Los Angeles Police Department; Jack “John” Dale, a former Fort Lauderdale police captain and former colonel with the Broward Sheriff’s Office; John Pate, city manager and director of Public Safety for Opa-locka; Tomas Sanchez, former chief of the Hollywood Police Department; and Cecil Smith, police chief in Sanford.

City Manager Chris Lagerbloom, the man who will make the final decision on whom to hire, says he doesn’t expect to make a pick until early next year.

Dietrich has been in charge of the agency’s 530 sworn officers and 179 civilians since July 9, when Lagerbloom  demoted Rick Maglione  from chief to major.

Lagerbloom has declined to say just what prompted the move, but five days earlier Maglione had posted a public statement defending the actions his officers took during a May 31 protest over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

Fort Lauderdale police fired tear gas and rubber bullets, contributing to a chaotic and violent scene. Police say protesters started it all when they threw rocks, bricks and fireworks.