Longwood police hiring to prepare for growth, retirements

Longwood’s police department is trying to keep ahead of retirements before they ripple through patrols, investigations and neighborhood coverage. The department is accepting applications for three officer vacancies through June 17, a hiring push city officials say is tied to staffing needs and future growth, not to a sudden spike in crime.

That matters in a department the city says includes 48 law enforcement officers and support staff providing 24-hour coverage. In a small agency, losing even a few officers can quickly affect response times, the number of officers on the street and the city’s ability to assign personnel to specialized work.

Lt. Derek Chenoweth, who supervises the Professional Development Division, has become the face of that effort. His division handles recruitment, background investigations, field training, advanced and in-service training, accreditation, community relations and the school resource officer program, making it the part of the department that helps turn applicants into working officers.

The department is casting a wide net. It is looking for academy graduates who have already passed the state exam, current officers willing to relocate and out-of-state officers who can complete Florida’s equivalency training and become certified here. The city is also selling the job with pay and benefits designed to compete in Central Florida’s tight law enforcement market.

Starting pay is listed at $63,532.69 a year. Certified officers with prior law-enforcement experience may qualify for pay up to 12% above that base salary. The city also advertises a defined-benefit police and fire retirement plan with a 3% multiplier, paid holiday, vacation and sick time, take-home patrol vehicles within mileage limits, and equipment and uniforms provided by the agency. Officers may also become eligible for transfer to specialized units after probation.

The urgency is tied to Longwood’s growth. U.S. Census Bureau estimates put the city’s population at 16,892 on July 1, 2025, up from 15,087 in the 2020 census, an increase of 11.9%. As the city has expanded, the department has had to think not just about filling shifts, but about whether it can keep enough experienced officers in place to handle a larger and more demanding community.

Longwood’s police pension system is overseen through the Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Pension Board and administered through the Florida Municipal Pension Trust Fund, underscoring the retirement pressures behind the hiring effort. For Longwood, the vacancies are more than routine turnover: they are a test of whether the department can stay fully staffed while the city keeps growing.