SURFSIDE, Fla. – Surfside’s new police chief is speaking to Local 10 News in the wake of the arrest of a suspect in a “series of thefts” — and the wake of his ascension to the position, which came after the town’s police chief resigned after mere months on the job amid drama between the mayor and the police union.
Chief Wayne Holbrook took over the reins of the Surfside Police Department after Chief Henry Doce resigned on Friday. He said his priority is public safety.
He commented on a body camera video that showed the takedown of Desmond Brown, suspected in at least three thefts.
“This was an operation based on several thefts that we had throughout the community and the residential area as well as the business community,” Holbrook said. “We had set up an undercover surveillance operation that’s going through the holidays and we were very successful with this arrest.”
But he also weighed in on the ongoing tension between Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett and the police union boss.
“Some people look at these videos and say, ‘What a circus in Surfside. The mayor going up to the police union boss at a stop, a resident saying she was pulled over,’ How do you end what some people call the ‘circus of Surfside?’” Local 10 News reporter Rosh Lowe asked.
“Stability, stability, transparency,” Holbrook said. “I think the officers here want to do a good job and they do do a good job.”
Regarding Burkett’s proposal to bring in Miami-Dade police to supplement the town’s officers, Holbrook was more guarded.
“You know, that’s up to the mayor and the electeds,” he said. “My thought is, as of right now, we just want to stay apolitical and do the job we’re supposed to do.”
Holbrook said he believes a return to stability and normalcy is possible.