Apopka Police Department swears-in three more officers

The Apopka Police Department added three new officers to its roster on Tuesday. APD Officers Hunter Manns, Gabriella Moffitt, and Jomar Perez bring the force up to 104.

Apopka Police Chief Michael McKinley swore the trio in at City Hall on Tuesday.

“We are excited to have Officers Manns, Perez and Moffitt join the ranks of the Apopka Police Department," McKinley said. "All three performed at a high level in their academy class and are eager to begin helping our community. It is gratifying to see these young officers enter the law enforcement profession and commit themselves to serve. Finding individuals, the past couple of years, that want to enter this profession has been challenging, and the fact that they are willing to make this commitment says a lot about them."

Manns is 22 years old and born in Orlando. He grew up in Franklin, North Carolina but moved back to Central Florida where he graduated from Lake Howell High School. 

“I have two uncles who work at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and my father is retired from law enforcement," Manns said. "This is something that I have wanted to do since I was a kid.” 

Officer Hunter Manns

Moffitt is 21 years old and born in Winter Park. She was raised in Casselberry and was home-schooled.  

“I was an explorer with Seminole County Sheriff’s Office for four years.,"Moffitt said. "I was mentored by several law enforcement officers that had a positive impact on my life as a teenager. This sparked my passion for the career which prompted me to attend the Police Academy following my 21^st birthday.”

Officer Gabriella Moffitt

Perez is 23 years old and was raised in Pine Hills where he graduated from Edgewater High School. Perez attended Seminole State College where he recently graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Academy.

“From an early age, I’ve always had an interest in law enforcement," she said. "I decided to make this a career so I can interact with the community and have strong support from both sides.”

Officer Jomar Perez

Hiring three new officers and increasing the ranks to 104 is a step in the right direction for the APD, but the those hires only fill part of the vacancies it experienced in 2021.

In his presentation to the Apopka City Council during the 2021-22 budget workshops, McKinley said the state average for police departments is 2.43 officers per 1,000. Due to the city's growth in 2020, the APD fell from a per capita 2.14 in 2019 to just 2.09 officers per 1,000 residents in 2020. 

"We continue to be below the state and local average of officers per capita," McKinley said during the workshop last summer. "Our current per capita is lower than what it was in 2007 and will fall even lower with the planned growth if no new officers are added in the next fiscal year. In fact, we have now reached the lowest per capita other than 2018 than we have seen in the last 14 years. To reach the state average of 2.43 officers per 1,000 residents the APD should have 130 authorized sworn law enforcement positions."

There are currently 10 officers budgeted for the 2021-22 fiscal year beyond filling vacancies. McKinley also said that an additional officer is scheduled to start at the end of March, and seven others are in processing.

He also said the APD is still hiring additional qualified individuals interested in being police officers.