Chief of Police - City of Largo

Please note that applications must be completed and submitted by 11:59 pm ET on the day prior to the close date listed on the job posting.

Mission: Provide Superior Services that Inspire Community Pride

Vision: To be the Community of Choice in Tampa Bay

Values: Integrity, Collaboration, Passion, Creativity

Largo's commitment to a High Performance Organization (HPO) model builds a flexible and resilient organization that intentionally builds leadership capacity at all levels of the organization.

CITY OF LARGO ... Naturally A Great Place to Work!

Closing:

07/1/2026

Salary:

$123,282 - 197,267 USD Annually

Job Summary:

Are you a forward-thinking, collaborative public safety leader ready to shape
the future of policing in a dynamic and growing community? Do you excel at
aligning operations, people, and technology to deliver high-quality,
responsive, and data-informed police services? Are you committed to
building trust, supporting team member well-being, and optimizing
resources to meet evolving community needs?

Join the City of Largo as our next Police Chief and lead a department ready
for continued growth and innovation- advancing modern policing strategies,
elevating operational excellence, and strengthening community partnerships
to support a thriving and sustainable future.

Your Community of Choice in Tampa Bay!


Hiring Salary Range: $175,000 - $185,000 DOE/DOQ

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

All employees share components of leadership, management, technical, and team skills to assist in making the City of Largo the community of choice in Tampa Bay.

Leadership

• Demonstrates an understanding and reflection of the City’s mission, vision, and values, and a commitment to achieve organizational goals aligned with the City’s strategic plan
• Champions a high-performance work culture that encourages innovation, develops team members, and encourages diverse perspectives
• Provides strategic leadership and articulates a clear vision to deliver superior public safety services and organizational excellence
• Leads with emotional intelligence, accountability, and sound judgment during routine operations and critical incidents
• Approaches the job with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a solutions-oriented mindset that encourages collaboration and continuous improvement
• Demonstrates the highest standards of personal integrity, honesty, professionalism, and ethical conduct
• Directs the overall operations, administration, and activities of the department
• Develops departmental goals, objectives, policies, and long-range strategic initiatives
• Fosters collaborative partnerships with internal departments, community organizations, regional agencies, elected officials, and public safety partners
• Builds strong relationships with the community through transparency, engagement, and trust-building initiatives

Management

• Effectively manages assignments, resources, and priorities to ensure the successful fulfillment of department goals, projects, and operational responsibilities
• Promotes and supports the highest standards of risk management, team member safety, and risk avoidance
• Formulates, interprets, and implements policies, procedures, and operational practices to continuously improve the delivery of police services
• Directs and coordinates the development and maintenance of the annual budget and supervises the expenditure of departmental appropriations
• Directs and coordinates the development and implementation of training programs for all personnel
• Oversees personnel administration, including hiring, promotions, transfers, performance management, disciplinary actions, labor relations, and workforce development
• Represents the department and City leadership at civic organizations, schools, community meetings, and public events to communicate departmental initiatives, programs, and services

Technical

• Coordinates law enforcement operations and initiatives with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and works closely with other City departments
• Ensures departmental compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, accreditation standards, and City policies
• Maintains knowledge of modern law enforcement technologies, data systems, evidence practices, and public safety best practices
• Facilitates and participates in meetings related to departmental operations, public safety coordination, and organizational initiatives
• Oversees critical incident response, emergency operations, and disaster preparedness activities
• Develops and implements strategies to address public safety challenges, crime prevention, emergency response, and community policing initiatives
• Applies professional knowledge of law enforcement principles, practices, accreditation standards, applicable laws, and evolving public safety trends
• Engages with residents, businesses, and community stakeholders to understand community concerns, expectations, and public safety priorities
• Assesses workplace culture, operational effectiveness, and team member engagement to support organizational performance and continuous improvement
• Serves as a departmental representative in media relations, public communications, and responses to public information requests as appropriate

Team Skills

• Supports honest, transparent, and accountable decision-making
• Collaborates effectively with all team members in a way that builds upon ideas and takes personal accountability and ownership of projects, roles, and assignments
• Consistently demonstrates a solution-oriented attitude, through words and actions, while encouraging and supporting the same in others

Performs related work as required.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE STATUS: As a condition of employment, City of Largo employees will be required to work as directed during an undeclared and/or declared emergency. All employees are subject to recall around the clock for emergency response operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the normal work location, and may include duties other than those specified in the official job description.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in a field directly related to law enforcement, supplemented by advanced courses in Police Administration, leadership, or management, and ten (10) years of experience in law enforcement with five (5) years of experience at the level of Police Major or above
• Possession of a valid certification as a Police Officer in the State of Florida or the ability to qualify for a certificate of Comparative Compliance for Police Officers
• Master's Degree and attendance at senior management programs such as the FBI National Academy, Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), or Southern Policing Institute (SPI) is preferred
• Valid Driver's License

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Thorough knowledge of the principles, accepted practices, and procedures of police administration
• Thorough knowledge of the applicable municipal, county, state, and federal laws to be enforced
• Thorough knowledge of contemporary philosophies, methodologies, and trends regarding local policing practices
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products such as word processing programs, spreadsheets, email, and other communication tools
• Ability to lead and earn the respect of personnel, and to assign, direct, and supervise their work under routine and emergency conditions
• Ability to write and present clear, concise reports, memoranda, directives, and public communications
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other City officials, team members, and the public
• Ability to clearly and concisely communicate ideas, expectations, and information both verbally and in writing
• Considerable knowledge of local government operations, public administration practices, and community-focused service delivery
• Demonstrated ability to consider input on an issue(s); being flexible and forward-thinking regarding resolution of issue(s)
• Demonstrated ability to lead, identifying and executing appropriate actions relative to operational/organizational situations or circumstances presented

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work Environment: 90% inside a climate-controlled building; 10% outside, which may include driving.

Physical Requirements: The essential functions of the job require: sitting approximately six (6) hours per day, standing approximately one (1) hour per day, and walking approximately one (1) hour per day. Frequently, the job requires repetitive motion. Occasionally, the job requires fine manipulations, grasping, reaching, and light lifting/carrying of objects weighing less than 15 pounds. On rare occasions, the job requires: bending/stooping, pulling, pushing, heaving, and lifting objects weighing up to and over 45 pounds.

Sensory Requirements: Hearing: Ability to understand what others are saying in normal conversation in person, on the telephone, and in meetings. Speaking: Ability to communicate orally with others in person, on the phone, and to conduct formal presentations to groups. Seeing: Ability to see and read computer monitor screens, read fine print, and operate a motor vehicle.

Driving Requirements: Requires occasional driving and possession of a valid Florida Driver's License.

Technology: The work requires the ability to operate telephones, smartphones, tablets, photocopiers, printers, desktop and/or laptop computers, calculators, and all associated software. The work also requires proficiency with computer hardware and software, including word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; internet applications; and database management.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Yes - DRUG TESTING (Safety Sensitive)

No - CHILDCARE FINGERPRINTING

Yes - CREDIT CHECK

Yes - FDLE AND CJSTC SECURITY CLEARANCE: As mandated by the FDLE, CJSTC, and the Largo Police Department, this position may be subject to additional security clearances due to access to the police department facility or police department's electronic data.