TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The capital city officially has a new top cop.
The Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad named Antonio Gilliam as Tallahassee Police Department's new police chief Wednesday afternoon at their commission meeting.
The city says Gilliam as the first choice for the post among three qualified finalists after a lengthy search, interview, and selection process.
“I have strong confidence that Chief Gilliam will demonstrate his commitment and expertise by immediately engaging with the community to address violent crime, specifically gun violence involving our youth,” Goad said. “He grew up on the Southside, so he has firsthand knowledge of our community – because it’s his hometown.”
He officially starts his new position on January 6, 2020.
Chief Gilliam, who graduated from Rickards High School and earned a criminology degree from Florida State University, joined the St. Petersburg Police Department in 2001 where he began is career as a patrol officer and worked his way up to Assistant Chief of Police.
“I am deeply humbled and honored by the opportunity to come back to my beloved hometown to serve as Chief of Police in Tallahassee and to work alongside the dedicated men and women of TPD,” Gilliam said. “We will diligently join with all segments of the community to enhance public safety and the peaceful quality of life in our Capital City.”
He started as a patrol officer and later became an undercover vice and narcotics detective. He became a sergeant in 2008, was promoted to lieutenant in 2010 and then major in 2015 before taking the Assistant Chief helm in 2018.
Gilliam will take over on the heels of former TPD Police Chief Michael DeLeo's exit. DeLeo resigned after spending six years at the helm of TPD.
