UCF Police Chief Richard Beary will make history on Oct. 28 when he is sworn in as the President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
It will be the first time a chief of police at a university or college law enforcement agency has held the title for the organization that boasts over 22,000 members.
“Being named IACP president is a huge honor for me personally, but beyond that, it’s an important recognition for UCF and the role campus law enforcement plays in the larger scheme of community safety,” said Beary in a release.
Beary has 37 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, getting a young start at the age of 18.
Coming from a family of law enforcement officers, Beary graduated from the police academy at Seminole State College before he even graduated high school. At age 18, he was the youngest officer in the state of Florida.
He was named the Chief of Police for Lake Mary in 1992 where he spent 15 years before retiring in June 2007 and joined UCF.
Beary has served as the IACP’s vice-president for the past year. He will be sworn in at the IACP’s Annual Conference, which will take place Oct. 25-28 in Orlando and is expected to bring in around 14,000 members.
