Sanford’s mayor says the man offered the job as police chief has accepted.
Mayor Jeff Triplett said Cecil Smith signed a contract to take the position as Chief of Police with the Sanford Police Department.
Cecil was one of five top candidates for the job and served as deputy chief of the Elgin Police Department in Illinois.
Smith is replacing former Police Chief Bill Lee, who was fired after Sanford was put in the national spotlight after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
Below is the full statement from the mayor:
Cecil E. Smith, Deputy Chief of the Elgin, Illinois Police Department has formally accepted the position of Police Chief for the City of Sanford. Chief Smith is expected to start his new job as Police Chief on April 1, 2013 with an annual salary of $114,757.
City Manager Norton Bonaparte stated that he looks forward to Chief Smith bringing his considerable talents as a seasoned law enforcement leader to the Sanford Police Department and his skill at building positive relations between a police department and the community it serves.
Chief Smith stated he’s looking to move forward from the past and creating a partnership with the community.