By Jane Smith
Assistant Police Chief Russ Mager will become the new Delray Beach police chief on Aug. 31. He is replacing Chief Javaro Sims, who will retire on Aug. 30.
A swearing-in ceremony for Mager and retirement celebration for Sims will occur at 6 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Atlantic High School auditorium. Mager, 56, has served 26 years with the Police Department. In 2019, he was promoted to captain and the next year to assistant chief.
He was born in Tallahassee, but he grew up in Broward County. Mager has a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Florida State University.
Sims, who became police chief in May 2019, served through the pandemic, keeping in touch virtually with the city’s residents when necessary.
He was the first Black police chief for Delray Beach. The city has a 37.2% minority population, according to the latest census data.
Sims succeeded Jeff Goldman as chief. Both emphasized community policing as a way to engage with residents.
For the Black community, Sims became a role model for kids whose families lacked a dad, said Angie Gray, former city commissioner and current board member of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency.
Sims, she said, “was awesome and amazing” as police chief.
Sims has been with the department since 1992, after spending four years as a
teacher.
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