staff

Sergeant Mary Farrand was recently appointed as the supervisor of the Alpha Patrol Squad following service as the policy compliance sergeant. Mary has been with the Gulfport Police Department since 2001, having come to us with experience as a dispatcher for the Clearwater Police Department. Among her more notable achievements, Sergeant Farrand received the officer-of-the-year award in 2005.

Sergeant Farrand has an Associate's degree from St. Petersburg College, and she is currently enrolled in their Public Safety Administration Bachelor's degree program. She has advanced certifications in personnel background and internal affairs investigations. Sergeant Farrand also serves as an agency assessor for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.

Sergeant Rob Burkhart started his employment for Gulfport as a dispatcher, and he was sponsored by the agency to attend the local police academy. He began his career as an officer in 2001, and he was quickly promoted to the position of detective, where he distinguished himself as an excellent investigator, earning the officer-of-the-year award in 2003. Sergeant Burkhart is currently the Public Information Officer for the Gulfport Police Department.

Among Sergeant Burkhart's accomplishments, he helped pioneer the agency's marine patrol efforts, and he is now responsible for planning and supervising our waterfront operations. He also holds advanced certifications in death and sex crimes investigations.

Sergeant Burkhart, who is the supervisor of our investigations unit, has an Associate's degree from Williamson College in Philadelphia.

Sergeant Terry Taylor is currently the longest-serving member of the Gulfport Police Department. He started as a patrol officer in 1986, after working briefly as a deputy in the Pinellas County Jail and following service in the United States Navy. He is currently the supervisor of the Charlie Squad.

During his long tenure, Taylor has worked as a detective and as a school resource officer for Boca Ciega High School. He also served as a traffic homicide investigator and breath test operator when he was assigned as an officer in the patrol division.

Sergeant Taylor received the officer-of-the-year award in 2000.

Sergeant Josh Stone, who was promoted to the rank of sergeant after two years of distinguished service as a detective, is the supervisor of the policy compliance unit. Sergeant Stone grew up in Gulfport, and he has been with the agency since 2001.

Most recently, he has taken a leadership role in the police department's special enforcement team, which is a group of highly-trained officers who respond to deal with unusual occurrences. In preparing for this role, Sergeant Stone recently became certified as a law enforcement firearms instructor.

A graduate of the University of South Florida, Stone has a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminology, and he is currently pursuing a master's degree in criminal justice administration.

Police Services Supervisor, James Beane is an ten-year veteran of the police department. Starting as a dispatcher in 1999, Supervisor Beane proved a valuable asset in evaluating and managing the increasing technological aspects of police work. Now as the supervisor of support services, James manages the people, equipment and programs for our high-tech communications and records management systems. In addition, Supervisor Beane serves as the agency's instructor and point of contact for our access to the FBI's Criminal Justice Information System database.

Supervisor Beane has an Associate's degree from ITT Technical Institute and a Bachelor's degree from Tampa College. He has also attended specialized courses in management of police records and communications.

Sergeant Michael Vandenberg was promoted in 2008 after five years as a patrol officer and field training officer. He is now the supervisor of the Bravo Patrol Squad as well as the coordinator of our field training program.

Vandenberg is a graduate of Florida State University, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in criminology, and before coming to work for Gulfport, he completed a professional internship with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He is one of three Gulfport Officers who are certified to investigate fatal traffic crashes.

Chief Robert Vincent leads the Gulfport Police Department, which is comprised of 29 sworn officers and 12 civilian staff members. He was appointed Chief of Police in 2010, following eight years as the lieutenant in charge of the investigative services division.

During his sixteen years of service to Gulfport, Chief Vincent has held many positions including Patrol Sergeant, School Resource Officer, and Youth Resources Officer. He has also served as an adjunct instructor for St. Petersburg College and as an assessor for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.

Chief Vincent has a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing from the University of South Florida, and he is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He maintains memberships in the International, Florida, and Tampa Bay Chiefs Associations, the latter of which he is currently serving on the board of directors..

Outside of work, Chief Vincent volunteers as a mentor and chaperon for Boca Ciega High School, and his hobbies include motorcycle riding and autocross racing.

Sergeant Michael Marotta is the newest member of our management team, earning his promotion to the rank of sergeant after almost nine years' service with the Gulfport Police Department. Before his promotion, Sergeant Marotta devoted much of his time to investigating DUI offenses and training new officers in our field training program. He is the supervisor of the Delta Patrol Squad.

Sergeant Marotta attended Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania, and he is currently completing an associate's degree at St. Petersburg College. He is also one of our most highly trained personnel, having completed over 900 hours of specialized training and earning advanced certifications in several areas of traffic enforcement, crisis intervention, and marine patrol.

A 2004 Officer of the Year, Sergeant Marotta is the only police employee to have earned the Meritorious Service Medal twice!

Commander Howard Coombs began his most recent assignment in 2010 when operations components were merged. Previously, he had served as commander of the Investigative Services Division.

Starting his service with the Gulfport Police Department in 1998, Commander Coombs has worked as a detective, field training officer, and as a supervisor in the patrol and policy compliance divisions. He is active as an assessor for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, and he is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Florida Police Chief's Association, and the Florida Police Accreditation Coalition.

Commander Coombs, a former enlisted serviceman in the United States Navy, has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Pheonix, and he is a graduate of the Florida Law Enforcement Executive Leadership program. He is also pursuing a master's degree in criminal justice administration from the University of South Florida.