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The mission of the Tavares Police Department (TPD) is to work in partnership with the community to protect life and property, solve neighborhood problems, and enhance the quality of life in our City.
The TPD is comprised of 32 sworn officers plus 1 civilian code enforcement officer and 2.5 civilian employees. The Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency.
The TPD serves a resident population of approximately 19,000 people with a large transient workforce population during the day which doubles the population. The department comprises a Uniform Road Patrol, a Criminal Investigations Unit, Street Crimes Unit (narcotics and vice), Code Enforcement, and Marine Patrol.
The department is deeply committed to community policing and the motto for the department is "People Helping People".
Chief Sarah Coursey, a third-generation Tavares native, oversees the operation of the department. She has been with the city since 2009, becoming chief in 2022. She has a Master's degree in Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement Administration and is a graduate of Columbia College. Chief Coursey is a Southern Police Institute Officer Command Development course graduate and received the Trilogy award from FBI-LEEDA for Supervisor, Command, and Executive Leadership.
