Mayor backs new West Palm Beach police chief at first public safety meeting

At the first in a series of public safety community meetings, Mayor Keith James introduced newly appointed Police Chief Tony Araujo and said he is confident Araujo can help make the department “worthy of the great city in which we live.”

The meeting served as an early opportunity for the mayor and police leadership to outline priorities and take questions from residents. Mayor Keith James said, “This is my choice, for the new leadership of the police department. He has some very specific ideas and philosophies about how he is going to make ... the police department a police department worthy of the great city in which we live.”

The appointment follows Mayor James’s dismissal of former Police Chief Frank Adderley over allegations of financial improprieties in the department, as discussed during the meeting. Reporter Cheryl Khan, who covered the event for WPB TV, asked whether having a new chief brings a different perspective, saying, “no disrespect to the former chief, but sometimes fresh eyes.”

Residents at the meeting were given a chance to ask questions and voice opinions about public safety priorities. Attendees were directed to the city website for information on upcoming sessions; the transcript identifies wpb.org as the source for scheduling and sign-up details. The meeting was described in the transcript as the first in a series of community public safety meetings.

No formal votes or council actions were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. The transcript does not specify a date for the meeting, the number of attendees, or detailed plans or timelines for Chief Araujo’s proposals.

Cheryl Khan identified herself on the recording as the reporter covering the meeting for WPB TV.