Jarad L. Phelps, with more than 30 years of law enforcement leadership experience, was sworn in Thursday as Chief of Police for the City of Boca Raton, formally taking command of the city’s Police Services Department following a national recruitment process that drew more than 100 applications from law enforcement leaders across the country.
Chief Phelps brings a wealth of expertise to the role. He previously served as Chief of Police for the City of Jacksonville, North Carolina, leading a nationally accredited agency of 136 sworn officers and more than 40 professional staff members. Before that he spent nearly three decades with the Prince William County Police Department in Virginia, rising through the ranks to serve as Deputy Chief and Acting Chief of Police. In Boca Raton, Chief Phelps will lead a department of 220 sworn officers and 110 civilian support staff, providing public safety services to one of South Florida’s largest municipalities.
The new Chief holds a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Criminal Justice from James Madison University. His executive leadership education includes the FBI National Academy, the FBI National Executive Institute, the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, the Senior Management Institute for Policing, and the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia.
“Leading public safety for a community like Boca Raton is both an honor and a responsibility I take seriously,” said Chief Phelps. “I’m excited to meet the men and women of this department, to get to know the neighborhoods and residents we serve, and to build the kind of trust and partnership that makes a community truly safe. I want to thank Mayor Thomson, City Manager Sohaney, and the entire City team for this opportunity, and I’m looking forward to getting to work.”
“Chief Phelps brings exactly the kind of steady, experienced leadership our police department and our community deserve,” said Mayor Andy Thomson. “He has spent his career building trust between officers and the communities they serve, and I know he’ll bring that same commitment to Boca Raton. On behalf of the City Council, I want to welcome him and his family to our city.”
“This was a highly competitive nationwide search, and Jarad Phelps stood out at every step of it,” said City Manager Mark Sohaney. “His depth of experience, sound judgment and commitment to public trust make him the right leader for this department. I also want to again recognize Acting Chief Seth Dubinsky, our command staff and the entire Boca Raton Police Services Department for their steady leadership throughout this transition.” Chief Phelps succeeds Acting Chief Seth Dubinsky, who has led the department on an interim basis. Additional details about Chief Phelps’ community outreach and introduction events will be announced in the coming weeks.
