Jim Davis retires June 24

By Jessica Tuggle

jtuggle@hometownnewsol.com

SEBASTIAN - It's time for the changing of the guard at the Sebastian Police Department.

Police Chief Jim Davis, who has been at the department for nearly eight years, announced his retirement from duty. His last day will be June 24.

"It has been a lot of fun," said Chief Davis.

When asked what he plans to do after retirement, Chief Davis answered jokingly, "As little as possible."

Deputy Chief Michelle Morris will take over the department June 25.

This will be the second retirement for Chief Davis; his first only lasted one weekend, between his law enforcement job in a Detroit suburb and his first job in Indian River County.

He began working with Indian River Shores, organizing their law enforcement department to be a public safety department and combining fire and police departments into one.

Chief Davis also worked closely with Commissioner Gary Wheeler during his eight years as Indian River County sheriff.

Commissioner Wheeler spoke highly of the chief, saying he was, "as flawless as anyone I know."

"He has integrity, character, he's honest, compassionate and an absolute fine human being," said Commissioner Wheeler.

He added that the task at hand for any head of a public safety division, whether it's in law enforcement, fire or emergency medical services, was always challenging.

"Right now, Sebastian is larger than Vero Beach in terms of land and population, but they have a much smaller staff than the Vero Beach Police Department," said Commissioner Wheeler.

According to the latest data available from the U.S. census bureau, Sebastian's population is estimated at about 20,300 and Vero Beach is estimated at 17,000.

Sebastian has 39 officers to Vero Beach's force of 65, Chief Davis said.

Chief Davis has been involved in law enforcement a few months shy of 50 years.

He said the hardest decisions he's made all concern doing more with less.

"The hardest choices are things like knowing we need something with the police department to make our service better, but we don't have the funds to do it. Then we have to decide what we're going to have to give up and figure out the best way to spend the money," said the chief.

"Chief Davis has been wonderful. As a police chief he has been very strong, had very good leadership and we will miss him very much," said Dale Simchick, Sebastian City Council member.

"I really believe that in 100 people, you'd be hard pressed to find a person who didn't respect him. He's top drawer," said Commissioner Wheeler.

"Chief Davis has been the champion of getting a 911 center for Sebastian and has been successful in getting it," she said.

She praised his ability to accomplish that project and the benefits of it to the community.

Now when Sebastian residents call 911, the call is directly patched through to dispatchers at the Sebastian Police Department. Before, 911 calls would be sent to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, then relayed to Sebastian Police responders, Chief Davis said.

"That was really frustrating for our residents and for us," he said.

"Now we have faster response times, less confusion of dispatching the calls and it's improved the crime being reported," said the chief.

Some other highlights of his time as Sebastian's chief of police include: establishing a new department facility and a K9 unit with public support and donations, obtaining state grant funds to help pay for a full-time marine officer, developing a motorcycle traffic unit, achieving accreditation and raising up a new, young command staff.

The incoming chief is an officer who was thoroughly trained under Chief Davis' leadership.

"Looking forward, I am very excited about such a brilliant and talented young officer with professional training moving up," said Ms. Simchick about Deputy Chief Morris.

Chief Davis also stated his confidence in his successor, and said that while the next few years won't be easy, he's confident he's leaving the department in good hands.

"I'd really like to see them continue to provide the service we have, and do it even better and do it without raising taxes and I'm sure they will be trying to do that," he said.