staff

Sergeant Mary Farrand is currently the supervisor of the Alpha Patrol Squad, an assignment following service as the policy compliance sergeant. Mary has been with the Gulfport Police Department since 2001, having come to us with experience as a dispatcher for the Clearwater Police Department. Among her more notable achievements, Sergeant Farrand received the officer-of-the-year award in 2005.

Sergeant Farrand has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Public Safety Administration from St. Petersburg College, and She has advanced certifications in personnel background and internal affairs investigations. Sergeant Farrand also serves as an agency assessor for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.

Sergeant Rob Burkhart started his employment for Gulfport as a dispatcher, and he was sponsored by the agency to attend the local police academy. He began his career as an officer in 2001, and he was quickly promoted to the position of detective, where he distinguished himself as an excellent investigator, earning the officer-of-the-year award in 2003. Sergeant Burkhart is currently the Public Information Officer for the Gulfport Police Department.

Among Sergeant Burkhart's accomplishments, he helped pioneer the agency's marine patrol efforts, and he is now responsible for planning and supervising our waterfront operations. He also holds advanced certifications in death and sex crimes investigations.

Sergeant Burkhart, who is the supervisor of our investigations unit, has an Associate's degree from Williamson College in Philadelphia.

Sergeant Josh Stone, who was promoted to the rank of sergeant after two years of distinguished service as a detective, is the supervisor of the policy compliance unit. Sergeant Stone grew up in Gulfport, and he has been with the agency since 2001.

Most recently, he has taken a leadership role in the police department's special enforcement team, which is a group of highly-trained officers who respond to deal with unusual occurrences. In preparing for this role, Sergeant Stone recently became certified as a law enforcement firearms instructor.

A graduate of the University of South Florida, Stone has a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminology.

Police Services Supervisor, James Beane is an eleven-year veteran of the police department. Starting as a dispatcher in 1999, Supervisor Beane proved a valuable asset in evaluating and managing the increasing technological aspects of police work. Now as the supervisor of support services, James manages the people, equipment and programs for our high-tech communications and records management systems. In addition, Supervisor Beane serves as the agency's instructor and point of contact for our access to the FBI's Criminal Justice Information System database.

Supervisor Beane has an Associate's degree from ITT Technical Institute and a Bachelor's degree from Tampa College. He has also attended specialized courses in management of police records and communications.

Sergeant Michael Vandenberg was promoted in 2008 after five years as a patrol officer and field training officer. He is now the supervisor of the Bravo Patrol Squad as well as the coordinator of our field training program.

Vandenberg is a graduate of Florida State University, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in criminology, and before coming to work for Gulfport, he completed a professional internship with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He is one of three Gulfport Officers who are certified to investigate fatal traffic crashes. Sergeant Vandenberg is also a certified instructor for the police department

Robert Vincent was appointed Chief of Police in 2010, following sixteen years of service with the Gulfport Police Department.

Chief Vincent's previous assignment was as commander of the Investigative Services Division, although he has has held many other positions in his career, including Patrol Division Commander, Patrol Sergeant, School Resource Officer, and Youth Resources Detective. He has also served as an adjunct instructor for St. Petersburg College and as an assessor for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.

Chief Vincent has a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing from the University of South Florida. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy--Session #227, where he earned a graduate certificate of achievement from the University of Virginia. In addition, Chief Vincent completed the Florida Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar in 2002.

Professional affiliations include the International, Florida, and Tampa Bay Chiefs Associations, the latter of which he is currently serving on the board of directors. Chief Vincent volunteers on the Executive Board of the West Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America, and as a student mentor at Boca Ciega High School.

Sergeant Michael Marotta earned his promotion to the rank of sergeant after almost nine years' service with the Gulfport Police Department. Before his promotion, Sergeant Marotta devoted much of his time to investigating DUI offenses and training new officers in our field training program. He is the supervisor of the Delta Patrol Squad.

Sergeant Marotta graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania, where he earned his associate's degree in Criminal Justice. Sergeant Marotta is pursuing his bachelors degree at St. Petersburg College. He is also one of our most highly trained personnel, having completed over 900 hours of specialized training and earning advanced certifications in several areas of traffic enforcement, crisis intervention, and marine patrol.

A 2004 Officer of the Year, Sergeant Marotta is the only police employee to have earned the Meritorious Service Medal twice!

Commander Howard Coombs began his most recent assignment in 2010 when operations components were merged. Previously, he had served as commander of the Investigative Services Division.

Starting his service with the Gulfport Police Department in 1998, Commander Coombs has worked as a detective, field training officer, and as a supervisor in the patrol and policy compliance divisions. He is active as an assessor for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, and he is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Florida Police Chief's Association, and the Florida Police Accreditation Coalition.

Commander Coombs, a former enlisted serviceman in the United States Navy, has Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration.from the University of South Florida. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Pheonix, and he is a graduate of the Florida Law Enforcement Executive Leadership program.

Sergeant Thomas Woodman is the newest member of our management team. He was recently promoted after serving with the Gulfport Police Department since 2006. He is a Field Training Officer, a Breath Test Operator, and an active member of the Marine Unit and Special Enforcement Team.

Sergeant Woodman has previously served with the United States Army where he graduated basic training as the Soldier of the Cycle. He is a graduate (Cum Laude) of the University of South Florida, where he earned a bachelor of arts in criminology.

As indicated by the display to the immediate right, Sergeant Woodman is our most decorated officer.