Boynton's revolving doors at the top: City manager, police, fire chiefs all have interim tags

BOYNTON BEACH — Upheaval at the top rung of the Boynton Beach Police Department continued Friday with the agency getting its third leader in just over a month.

The city announced that Assistant Chief Joe DeGiulio is the new interim police chief, replacing Vanessa Snow, who took over on a temporary basis April 22 following the resignation of Michael Gregory, who left after four years in the position.

The shakeup comes as the city commission awaits a staff report regarding a possible merger of the city police force with the Palm Beach Couny Sheriff's Office.

It's also part of a major reorganization among the city's top officials that began with Gregory's departure April 15 and continued April 19 with the firing of longtime city manager Lori LaVerriere by the city commission.

LaVerriere was replaced April 26 on an interim basis by Jim Stables, appointed by the city commission after serving since January 2021 as the city's fire chief.

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With Stables moving up, Deputy Fire Chief Hugh Bruder was named interim fire chief last month.

That means the city manager, police chief and fire chief are each serving on a temporary basis, and the situation is not likely to change soon.

Mayor Ty Penserga said the commission will conduct its own search for a permanent city manager, a process that will likely extend through the end of 2022 and, possibly, into 2023. Permanent police and fire chiefs won't be hired until the city manager position is settled.

Stables said he's unsure whether he will apply for the permanent position and has an agreement with the commission that allows him to remain as fire chief if he does not receive the full-time city manager job.

The commission voted May 17 to pay Stables a salary of $200,000, a raise from the $148,000 he was making as fire chief.

Stables' first major decision came this week with his selection of DeGiulio, a former New York City cop who joined Boynton Beach police in August 2001 and worked his way up the ranks from patrol officer to running the department.

Snow joined the police department in 2016. The city's announcement did not give a reason for Snow's resignation and she could not be reached for comment.

Because of the temporary status of his own job and negotiations with PBSO looming, Stables said last week that he would not look to hire a permanent police chief.

"It would be inappropriate for me to make long-term plans when I'm a short-term interim," said Stables, who grew up in Pompano Beach and spent most of his fire service career in Brevard County. "I don't want to be presumptive in picking that person and then the person that comes in behind me, if I'm not selected (as permanent city manager), would have to live with the selection I made. An interim (police chief) makes the most sense."

Joe DeGiulio: A look at Boynton's new interim police chief

DeGiulio, 47, was one of three internal candidates who applied to replace LaVerriere, along with David Scott, the city's director of economic development and strategy, and Stables.

DeGiulio was also one of three finalists in 2018 for the job as police chief that went to Gregory.

The police department continues to deal with the fallout from the Dec. 26 death of 13-year-old Stanley Davis III, who died after he crashed his dirt bike while being chased by city police officer Mark Sohn.

Sohn, who has an extensive disciplinary history during 20 years with the department, was cleared of criminal charges by the Florida Highway Patrol but is the subject of an internal affairs investigation looking into whether he violated the city's vehicle pursuit policy.

The internal affairs probe began in late March and will be completed within six months, meaning DeGiulio and Stables could be left with deciding Sohn's future. DeGuilio has overseen the department's uniformed officers, including Sohn, since February 2018.

Jorge Milian is a journalist covering Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jmilian@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @caneswatch. Help support our work and subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton Beach interim police chief resigns; deputy promoted