FORT PIERCE — City officials provided an update at the Jan. 5 City Council meeting on the hiring process for Fort Pierce’s next police chief, saying contract negotiations with David M. Smith are nearing completion and that he is expected to begin the job in early February.
Smith was selected by City Manager Richard D. Chess to lead the Fort Pierce Police Department following a national search that included seven finalists, two of them internal candidates. He brings 24 years of law enforcement experience and most recently served as commander of Eastern District Operations in Prince William County, Virginia.
Human Resources Manager Jared Sorensen told council members the city and Smith have reached agreement on the contract terms and are in the final stages of review.
“So the conversations that I’ve had with Mr. Smith is that he’s wanting to go Feb. 1. He’s still planning on being here Feb. 1. He’s agreed to the terms and conditions of the contract. It’s being reviewed for final review from the city attorney once you guys approve it, then we should be good to go,” Sorensen said.
During the meeting, Mayor Linda Hudson asked Sorensen to confirm that Smith understands the residency requirement for the position.
“And is he clear that he needs to live in the city of Fort Pierce?” Hudson asked.
“He’s absolutely clear about that, yes ma’am,” Sorensen said.
City officials said preparations are already underway to ensure Smith can transition smoothly into the role once his contract is finalized. Sorensen told council members he has been working with the police department to move forward with background and onboarding steps.
“As far as all the backgrounds and stuff like that, I’ve been working closely with Santiago in the police department. We’ve been working closely with getting him onboard and doing what we need to do so he’ll be able to hit the ground running,” Sorensen said.
Chess told the council he expects to bring the finalized contract forward for approval at the next meeting.
“We hope to bring that forward the next commission day meeting on Jan. 12,” he said.
Smith was chosen after a review process that city leaders described as thorough and transparent. In addition to his command role in Prince William County, his background includes leadership in patrol operations, personnel management, strategic planning and community engagement.
His education includes a graduate certificate in criminal justice education, a master’s degree in executive leadership and a bachelor’s degree in management.
If approved as planned, Smith would become Fort Pierce’s next police chief as the city looks to solidify leadership at the department in the coming weeks.