WATCH: Cocoa Police Chief Cantaloupe Makes Final Call Before Entering Retirement
By Cocoa Police Department // January 2, 2021
Cocoa Police Commander John Hankins to serve as Interim Chief of Police
WATCH: Newly-retired Cocoa Police Chief Mike Cantaloupe’s last call.
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – With the retirement of Cocoa Police Chief Mike Cantaloupe on December 31, Cocoa City Manager Stockton Whitten has appointed Cocoa Police Commander John Hankins to serve as Interim Chief of Police during the recruitment of the next chief.
Cantaloupe has served in nearly all capacities in the department including patrol watch commander, SWAT commander, and professional compliance commander before becoming chief in 2014.
In his role as chief of police, Cantaloupe brought with him a passion for community policing and outreach programs. His efforts have helped contribute to the city’s lowest crime rate on record since 1998.
Under his leadership since 2014, the overall crime rate dropped from a rate of 7.9 in 2014 to a record low 5.8 in 2019. The crime rate data for 2020 will not be calculated until April 2021.
These numbers represent the number of crimes per 100 residents.