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Palm Bay Police names Jeff Spears chief; department highlights recruitment, readiness and license‑plate reader use
Summary
The Palm Bay Police Department announced a 2026 leadership change, thanking Chief Mario O'Joe and welcoming Chief Jeff Spears, and emphasized maintaining force readiness through recruitment, training and expanded use of license‑plate reader technology such as Flock, citing a hit‑and‑run case where LPR data quickly identified a suspect vehicle.
The Palm Bay Police Department announced a 2026 leadership transition, thanking Chief Mario O'Joe for his years of service and welcoming Chief Jeff Spears as the new chief, the department said.
In a prepared statement the department described Spears as "a true son of Palm Bay" and expressed confidence that he will continue to build on the department’s legacy of professionalism and service. The department also recognized O'Joe’s emphasis on supporting officers’ mental health and well‑being.
The statement said maintaining 'force and readiness' requires keeping the department properly staffed, trained and equipped. Department leadership described recruitment as a priority and said the hiring process focuses on attracting candidates who demonstrate integrity, professionalism and a commitment to community service rather than simply filling vacancies.
The department said it has expanded use of modern investigative technologies, citing Flock license‑plate recognition systems. The statement described a recent fatal hit‑and‑run in which "Flock data provided investigators with a suspect vehicle almost immediately," allowing identification of a responsible individual and recovery of the vehicle for forensic processing.
The department framed these technology uses as supporting investigative work and preserving critical evidence but did not describe specific oversight policies, data‑retention rules, or agreements with vendors in the statement. The department said it will continue investing in recruitment, workforce development, training and the responsible use of technology to improve outcomes and public safety.
