Temple Terrace has a new police chief
After 21 years of service to the community, Rob Staley was sworn in as Temple Terrace’s new police chief last Saturday.
“Really, this is more about the people that live here and the people that work here,” Staley said. “They know they can trust me in this role, and that’s important.”
Although Staley may be new to the job, he is no stranger to the field.
When he was only 12, he participated in the Police Explorers, a program for young people who wish to pursue a career in law enforcement.
He said this opportunity gave him hands-on experience in the area.
Staley said it is hard for some people to choose a profession immediately after high school, but he knew from a young age what his career would be.
“I knew straight off the jump that I was going to go into law enforcement,” he said.
At 19, he became an officer.
“It’s something that has really been a passion of mine for a very long time,” he said.
Since then, Staley has been on patrol, an undercover narcotics agent, a white-collar crime detective and more.
The accomplishment of the police chief role is a culmination of all his efforts and work throughout the years.
Staley said his new role is more on the “administrative side” as compared to when he first started.
However, he said his goal remains the same – for everyone living and working in Temple Terrace to know they are safe.
“It’s important for people who are traveling or living in Temple Terrace to know that they’re safe here and that they can rely on us whenever they need us,” he said.
Credits:
Anchor: Abigail Saxe and Gracie Campbell
Reporters: Gracie Campbell and Tatyana Purifoy
Web Editor: Clara Rokita Garcia
Audio: Debora Gruenberg
Tech Director: Ricardo Cuomo
Producer: Tatyana Purifoy
Assistant Producer: Luana Martins
Social Media: Karli Kibbee
Teleprompter: Carter Timmons
Camera: Sam Poulin
Editor: Paula Sanchez Ruiz
Graduate Assistant: Grace Ficara
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Anderson