City of Melbourne Selects Chief David Gillespie As New Police Chief
By Space Coast Daily // April 3, 2017
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The City of Melbourne has selected David Gillespie to serve as its new police chief.
Gillespie will be replacing Chief Steve Mimbs who is retiring from the Melbourne Police Department after 30 years of service.
Gillespie is presently the Fifth District Commander of the Montgomery County (MD) Police Department, which serves 200,000 citizens in a 143 square-mile area, including two of the fastest growing communities in Maryland (Germantown and Clarksburg).
He has extensive experience in community policing, youth programs and crime prevention initiatives.
“We had a tremendous pool of more than 130 candidates for this position, and an absolutely top-notch group of finalists who came to Melbourne last week to meet the community and interview for the Chief’s job. In David Gillespie I believe we have selected just the right man to lead an already outstanding department into the future, and in Melbourne that is an exciting future,” said Melbourne City Manager Mike McNees.
“I am grateful to the Melbourne City Council members, representatives of the community, and particularly the employees of the Melbourne Police Department who participated in this selection process. It was truly a team effort, and I believe we will be well served by Chief Gillespie.”
Gillespie holds a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice from the University of Maryland and a master’s of science degree in management from Johns Hopkins University.
He has been a certified Instructor for the Maryland Police Training Commission for 10 years and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland for 4 years where he teaches classes on advanced police administration and drugs and crime.
Gillespie will begin his service this spring (start date to be determined).
