Florida police chief resigns in lieu of termination – Law Officer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Chief Lonnie Scott of the Gainesville Police Department in Florida submitted a letter of resignation Monday to City Manager Cynthia Curry, making clear he was resigning in lieu of being terminated, according to a report.

Scott’s final day as the top cop will be March 29. In the interim, Assistant Chief Nelson Moya will assume command as the city seeks a permanent replacement for the man who has served in law enforcement since July 1985, The Gainesville Sun reported.

In Scott’s resignation letter, he noted that he was informed by Curry on Feb. 24 of her intent to terminate his employment. He recognized his status as an “at-will” department head, yet said he is unsure why he was going to be fired.

“I remain unclear as to why you believe this is necessary,” he wrote to Curry. “I recognize, however, that as an at-will employee that the decision is yours.”

In October 2023, Curry released a memo that said GPD employees were concerned about the direction of the agency.

Among employee concerns were reportedly staffing issues, safety, pay and leadership concerns, among others. She wrote at the time that some personnel feel as if “the department is crumbling around them.”

The city manager sent a memo to Mayor Harvey Ward, saying it’s time the police department moves in a “different direction.”

In a statement to The Gainesville Sun, Ward said he supports Curry’s decision.

“Chief Scott has been — and continues to be — a valuable member of our team. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him. The Chief position works for the city manager, and Manager Curry has indicated that it’s time for new direction. I support her and her decision and look forward to new direction and vision at GPD.

“We have an excellent, nationally-accredited department that does terrific work for our neighbors and I expect that will continue to be the case. I will do everything in my power to continue to support our women and men at GPD, and all our city workers.”

According to the Gainesville Police Department website, “Chief Scott has worked in law enforcement in the state of Florida for over 39 years. Initially serving the citizens of Gainesville for 29 years – rising through the ranks from Police Officer to Police Captain in November of 2007 – before accepting a position with the Tallahassee Police Department as a Police Major in 2014. Chief Scott then went on to serve the City of Tallahassee, Florida for 5 years before returning to his adopted hometown of Gainesville in 2020 as an Assistant Chief at the Gainesville Police Department. Chief Scott served in this position for two years before being appointed as Acting Chief in January of 2022. He has successfully worked in and/or supervised every component of a police agency.

“On July 25, 2022 Lonnie Scott was appointed as the permanent Chief of Police for Gainesville.”

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