7 months into job, Bartow Police Chief Andy Ray retires 'for good,' citing health reasons
Bartow Police Chief Andy Ray has resigned for health reasons and his last day was Friday.
In text messages between Ray and a Ledger reporter this week, it was clear he had preferred to stay if he could.
“I had planned to be here for a couple of years, but I have a medical issue that’s going to require surgery, so I’m basically retiring from full-time work for good this time,” he said. ”I hate it, but it’s necessary.”
Before starting with the agency on Aug. 7, Ray had amassed 36 years in law enforcement and had been retired as chief of police in Auburndale since 2022. He began his career in 1987 as a deputy with the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
He had high hopes of taking the Bartow agency to the next level, he had told The Ledger after taking the helm.
Next steps
City Manager Mike Herr also had hoped Ray would help turn around the law enforcement agency following a consultant’s report showed the agency was in crisis and the State Attorney’s Office was unwilling to use its investigations for prosecutions of major crimes.
Herr did not respond to texts and cell phone calls on Thursday or Friday. Nor was it apparent that an interim police chief had been named. The city website lists Capt. William Stevens and Capt. Stephen Walker as within the command staff structure.
According to Commissioner Laura Simpson, Walker would attend to any responsibilities the police chief would be needed for the interim.
At Monday's regularly scheduled meeting, the Bartow Commission approved an agreement with Strategic Government Resources Inc. to recruit a new police chief as well as a utilities director-city engineer following the unexpected death of Tony McKinley earlier this year.
The commission also heard from Herr at Monday’s meeting when he said he wanted to form a leadership panel to vet potential candidates for the police chief position.
Among Herr’s picks for such a committee were:
Bartow Fire Chief Jay Robinson.
Charlie Bird, Winter Haven's assistant city manager for public safety, who had served as police chief when Herr worked there.
Chris Nelson, chief of staff for the State Attorney's Office.
Consultant Jim Sewell.
Joe Holman, Polk County's deputy manager for public safety, who has also worked for the Sheriff's Office.
Herr suggested the commission form a diverse citizens' panel that would possibly contain a minister or member from a nonprofit group, a chamber member and a neighborhood resident. He also suggested an employee panel be formed.
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Herr's comments preceded Ray's.
Ray provided a list of some of the accomplishments he has made during his short − nearly seven months − tenure with the Bartow Police Department. His report highlighted a vision for the agency for the next two years.
Community policing, new written policies and a code enforcement division within the agency were among the report's highlights.
Agency in turmoil
Herr had commissioned a consultant last year to evaluate Bartow’s police agency, and in June, the report used terms like “turmoil … crisis in leadership …," among others.
The consultant's report said there existed “an overwhelming lack of respect” for former Police Chief Bryan S. Dorman. The report also faulted the department’s training and equipment.
“The department culture lacks a sense of urgency and is fostered by poor communication and low levels of trust in leadership, resulting in rapidly declining morale,” the report said.
Further, the Emergency Communications Center was at a crisis point with employees working mandatory overtime and many employees working 140 hours every two weeks, the report said. And training, processes and equipment for the Field Training Officer program “seem to be lacking” or “antiquated.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Bartow to conduct search for police chief after Andy Ray steps down
