Following a nationwide search, Jared L. Phelps has been selected to serve as Boca Raton’s police chief.
Phelps has served as chief of police for Jacksonville, North Carolina, since April 2024. Before that, he served nearly three decades with the Prince William County Police Department in northern Virginia, where he rose through the ranks to become deputy chief. Both are nationally accredited agencies.
Phelps was among 105 applicants for the position, of which 77 met the job requirements. The Jacksonville department has 136 sworn police officers, while Prince William County is authorized to have 749.
The only other finalist for the position was Nicholas R. Augustine, assistant chief of police for the Montgomery County Department of Police in Maryland.
“Jared Phelps stood out for his depth of experience, sound judgment, and commitment to public trust,” City Manager Mark Sohaney said in a June 8 statement. “He understands the importance of supporting a high-performing police department and of continuing to build strong relationships with the community it serves.”
Phelps holds a master of public administration degree 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 Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, the Senior Management Institute for Policing through the Police Executive Research Forum, and the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia.
He replaces former Police Chief Michele Miuccio, a 37-year department veteran who rose through the ranks to become chief in 2020.
Sohaney terminated her and two deputy city managers, Chrissy Gibson and Jorge Camejo, in March as part of a major executive team shake-out. City officials did not say why the three were pushed out.
— Mary Hladky
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