Fort Lauderdale appoints new interim police chief

FORT LAUDERDALE — Fort Lauderdale has another interim police chief, and he’s no stranger to the role.

Patrick Lynn, the newest interim chief, has spent 35 years in law enforcement throughout South Florida. He served as police chief of the Davie Police Department from 2007 until he retired in 2017. Last year, he took the helm again briefly while the former chief, Dale Engle, was investigated.

Fort Lauderdale City Manager Chris Lagerbloom said earlier this month that he planned to hire a new interim chief who isn’t interested in running the department permanently while city officials search for the agency’s next top cop.

Karen Dietrich, the former interim chief, stepped down after six months in the role, effectively taking herself out of the running. Lagerbloom said he had heard of several would-be applicants who declined to apply out of respect for Dietrich.

Lynn got his start in law enforcement as a patrol officer with the Pembroke Pines Police Department in 1982. He rose through the ranks before retiring as the city’s deputy chief in 2007 and stepping into his role as chief in Davie.

Lynn has “extensive experience in operations, investigations, and the administration of technologically innovative, community-oriented police agencies,” according to a news release from Fort Lauderdale. Notably, he spearheaded an effort to build a $2.5 million training facility and firearms range so officers wouldn’t have to use overtime to train at rented ranges, the release says.

Lynn has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in public administration from Florida Atlantic University, the release says.