FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A debate is emerging within the Fort Pierce Police Department to determine if its next police chief should come from an internal promotion or external hire, according to new documents WPTV received from a public records request.
The position has remained unfilled since Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burnley resigned in May. Her resignation came after a report made an extensive request for recommendations for the agency, even though it found the agency performed quality law enforcement services.
WATCH BELOW: Debate emerges on who to hire as next Fort Pierce police chief
WPTV also obtained a union survey revealing a deep dissatisfaction among Fort Pierce police officers, who critiqued the chief over her lack of visibility within the department and a "hostile" work environment.
WPTV anchor Meghan McRoberts also reported on an internal investigation that found decades of mismanaged evidence, ultimately leading to cases being dropped or people losing personal belongings.
According to a spokesperson for the city of Fort Pierce, the city will spend about $25,000 on a search firm to hire the next police chief. As part of the search, the city also conducted a survey to gather input from officers with the department as well as comments from the general public.
WPTV reporter Ethan Stein obtained those responses from a public records request. The most common trait mentioned by police employees and the general public was the word "experience" and police officers often emphasized the importance of "local" law enforcement experience.
Some officers acknowledged the current situation within the department, inherited from the prior chief, might need an outsider with a fresh perspective.
For example, one officer said St. Lucie County Deputy and former candidate for Indian River County Sheriff Chief Milo Thornton should become the next chief because everybody would be judged without the past prejudices.
"Milo Thornton should be the next Chief, due to the fact that he is an outsider with a non-biased view of the department, and would have no favoritism, and would hold everyone accountable on an even scale," said one officer whose name wasn't attached to the survey results WPTV obtained.
However, more officers urged the city to hire an internal candidate, specifically naming acting deputy chief Caleb Gillette. Those officers argued the decision would boost morale within the department.
"You keep hiring from outside to put people in charge shows every prospective recruit that they will NEVER be considered for leadership under this City," said one officer whose name wasn't attached to the survey results WPTV obtained. "Hiring from outside the Department sends a clear message, 'Work for the Police Department and you will never be trusted to actually lead here.'"
The survey responses show that another officer reiterated the relationship between morale and promotions.
"The opportunity for morale to improve is to promote from within," said one officer whose name wasn't attached to the survey results WPTV obtained. "Morale is crushed immediately when you promote or choose someone from the outside to manage people who have spent their careers here. It is important to value the officers that have been working here enough so they want to stay and want to seek leadership positions.”
According to the survey responses, many officers also blamed retention and recruitment issues on low pay and poor equipment. One officer argued these structural issues around funding would set up the new police chief for failure regardless of the choice.
"I think the Chief will be incredibly set up for failure since the city commission doesn't want to raise officers' pay to a salary high enough to survive," said one officer whose name wasn't attached to the survey results. "Officers will continue to leave, and we will remain a training ground for other police departments."
WPTV tracked raises for officers, which passed last September, after a months-long dispute between the union for police officers and the city of Fort Pierce. Before the agreement, the data we collected showed Fort Pierce police were one of the lowest-paid law enforcement departments in our viewing area.
A spokesperson for the Fort Pierce Police Department declined to comment on this story to protect the integrity of the selection process.
