UCF police chief retires today after 41-year career
UCF Police Chief Richard Beary will retire today after nearly 41 years in law enforcement and 11 as the university’s chief.
“My career has exceeded what I ever imagined when I put on a badge and gun as an 18-year-old patrol officer,” he said in an announcement to university police officers and staff. “I have been privileged to work side by side with incredibly dedicated and courageous men and women committed to their communities and this nation.”
Beary, inducted into the Florida Law Enforcement Officers’ Hall of Fame last year, started his career at the Altamonte Springs Police Department in 1977, rising through the ranks from Communications Operator to Commander of Police Operations.
In 1992, he was named Lake Mary police chief. He retired from there in June 2007, then joined the University of Central Florida.
Beary is a graduate of the police academy at Seminole State College.
At the time, he was 18 and the youngest officer in Florida. He completed the academy before he finished high school; at first he was too young to buy his own gun and bullets — so his parents had to. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Rollins College and a master’s degree in criminal justice from UCF.
A university spokeswoman said a search for UCF’s next police chief is underway.