With 37 years in law enforcement under his belt, it\u2019s unusual for University of Central Florida Police Chief Richard Beary to experience firsts.<\/p>\n
But later this month, he\u2019ll be front and center for a historical occasion: On Tuesday, Oct. 28, Beary will be sworn in as president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, marking the first time the chief of a university or college law enforcement agency has held the title.<\/p>\n
Beary said he hopes that his new role will bring attention to the synergistic relationship campus police should have with other local agencies, with UCF Police\u2019s partnership with Central Florida agencies serving as a prime example for IACP\u2019s more than 22,000 members to look to.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing named IACP president is a huge honor for me personally, but beyond that, it\u2019s an important recognition for UCF and the role campus law enforcement plays in the larger scheme of community safety,\u201d said Beary, who has served as the organization\u2019s vice president for the past year.<\/p>\n
For Beary, a career in law enforcement meant following in his family\u2019s footsteps. His father, Ray, was the police chief for the cities of Maitland and Winter Park, and his older brother, Kevin, is a former Orange County Sheriff. Two of Beary\u2019s children have also followed in the tradition and now work as deputies with the Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Beary is a graduate of the police academy at Seminole State College. At the time, he was 18 and the youngest officer in Florida. The chief completed the academy before he even finished high school, and at first he was too young to buy his own gun and bullets, so his parents had to.<\/p>\n
He started his career at the Altamonte Springs Police Department in 1977, rising through the ranks from Communications Operator to Commander of Police Operations.<\/p>\n
In 1992, he was named Chief of Police for Lake Mary. He served there until retiring in June 2007 after 30 years of municipal service and then joined UCF in 2007.<\/p>\n
He holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in public affairs from Rollins College and a master\u2019s degree in criminal justice from UCF. A graduate of the 143rd session of the F.B.I. National Academy, he also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Seminole State College of Florida and has been a certified law enforcement trainer since 1981.<\/p>\n
Beary will be sworn in during the IACP\u2019s Annual Conference, which is expected to bring more than 14,000 members to Orlando Oct. 25-28. Through his IACP presidency, Beary will have the opportunity to bring attention to law enforcement issues that he\u2019s passionate about.<\/p>\n
Among those are the risks associated with online crime, which are being discussed throughout the country in October as part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.<\/p>\n
\u201cCybercrime presents challenges for everyone, including the government,\u201d Beary said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the number one crime in the world, and it\u2019s so new and difficult to wrap our heads around that we can\u2019t even estimate the damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019ll also work to promote the tactical, military-grade individual first aid kits developed by UCF Police in partnership with North American Rescue, LLC. The kits are carried by each officer, and they allow them to respond to emergencies in which immediate first aid could help to save the lives of officers or victims.<\/p>\n
Beary\u2019s other priority will be to work with the Public Safety Officers\u2019 Benefits Program to improve communication and benefits for the families of fallen officers and first responders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe owe it to them and their families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With 37 years in law enforcement under his belt, it\u2019s unusual for University of Central Florida Police Chief Richard Beary to experience firsts. But later this month, he\u2019ll be front and center for a historical occasion: On Tuesday, Oct. 28, Beary will be sworn in as president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, marking the first time the…","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":62377,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,6],"tags":[3978,4911,4936],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-62372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-community","tag-richard-beary","tag-ucf-police-department","tag-ucfpd"],"yoast_head":"\n