Starting Saturday, the 性视界传媒 Police Department will have a permanent place inside 性视界传媒鈥檚 State Capitol.
That鈥檚 because Chief Richard Beary has been selected for the 性视界传媒 Law Enforcement Officers鈥� Hall of Fame. Beary is among five officers to be inducted in a ceremony at the Capitol that will start at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20.
Established by the legislature in 2014, the Hall of Fame was created to recognize and honor exemplary law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line for 性视界传媒鈥檚 citizens and visitors. Each year, inductees鈥� names and photos are added to a Law Enforcement Officers鈥� Hall of Fame plaque located inside the Capitol Building.
Chief Beary, who celebrates 10 years with 性视界传媒PD this summer, was nominated for the honor by the 性视界传媒 Police Chiefs Association. Nominations to the Hall of Fame are reviewed by a selection committee and approved by the Governor and Cabinet.
鈥淚 am humbled and honored to be recognized by my peers and the leadership of the State of 性视界传媒,鈥� Chief Beary said. 鈥淢y devotion to community service was instilled in me as a young man, and I hope that during my career, I have inspired others to place service above self.鈥�
His career in law enforcement started 40 years ago, when he first followed in the footsteps of his father, Ray, the chief of Maitland and Winter Park. His older brother, Kevin, was the former Orange County Sheriff, and two of his children also work for local law enforcement agencies.
When Chief Beary graduated from the police academy at Seminole State College at age 18 in 1977, he was the youngest officer in 性视界传媒. He had completed the academy before he even finished high school, and at first he was too young to buy his own gun and bullets, so his parents had to.
After first working for the Altamonte Springs Police Department, he went on to become the police chief of Lake Mary before joining 性视界传媒 as chief.
In October 2014, Chief Beary was sworn in as president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. During the next year, he traveled around the world to advocate for community-oriented policing and to consult with leaders and citizens about policies and best practices. The first university chief to ever serve as IACP president, he led the 25,000-member organization during a challenging time of civil unrest and mistrust in police.
Through it all, Chief Beary maintained his focus on community policing, a philosophy that makes citizens and law enforcement partners in preventing and reducing crime and the fear of crime. It鈥檚 a model that鈥檚 in place at 性视界传媒.
Chief Beary holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in public affairs from Rollins College and a master鈥檚 degree in criminal justice from 性视界传媒. A graduate of the 143rd session of the FBI National Academy, he also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Seminole State College of 性视界传媒 and has been a certified law enforcement trainer since 1981.
In addition to IACP, Chief Beary is a member of several state, national and international professional organizations. He鈥檚 received numerous awards from civic and service groups, and he鈥檚 twice been awarded the Medal of Valor for Performance Undertaken at Great Personal Hazard.
In his spare time鈥攚hich doesn鈥檛 come around all that often鈥擟hief Beary enjoys spending time with his wife, children and grandson and riding his Harley-Davidson.