FLORENCE, KY (FOX19) -
Florence Mayor Diane Whalen has announced the appointment of Captain John McDermond as the new City of Florence
Police Chief.
McDermond is a 23-year veteran of the Florence Police Department
and has served as Captain since 2007.
John was hired as a patrol officer in
1990 and has risen through the ranks of the department holding the positions of
Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain.
His years in the department have
allowed him to gain a wide range of valuable experience including patrol
officer, field training officer, detective, DARE instructor, SWAT team member,
SWAT team commander, and Public Information Officer. He holds numerous certifications
including hostage negotiator, firearms instructor, and taser instructor.
"The City of Florence is fortunate we have officers within our ranks
who can continue to lead our Police Department," said Whalen. "I appreciate all who applied
and I knew the quality of our internal candidates would provide great choices
for our next Chief."
"I am very thankful for this opportunity," said McDermond. "Chief Szurlinski has done a
fantastic job leading this department and I feel very fortunate to inherit a
police department with such high professional standards. I look forward to the
challenges that lie ahead as we move forward with the goal of protecting
quality of life issues for the citizens of Florence."
Captain
McDermond holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of
Georgia and also graduated from the nationally recognized Southern Police Institute. John has been married to
his wife, Lori, for 29 years and has one son and one daughter.
John will begin
serving in his new role as Police Chief on April 1 when Tom Szurlinski officially retires.
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John McDermond (Source: City of Florence)
FOX19-WXIX
