Mayor names assistant chief to oversee West Palm police
Sarah Mooney will take over Feb. 12 if approved by the city commission.
WEST PALM BEACH — The mayor’s pick for West Palm’s next police chief is a 22-year veteran of the department, Assistant Chief Sarah Mooney, a woman with a master’s in social work, experience in community outreach and years of work as a hostage negotiator, police trainer, field operations supervisor, Patrol Division shift commander and Internal Affairs commander.
Mooney, 46, takes over Feb. 12, provided the appointment is ratified by the city commission, which meets Monday. The announcement comes less than two weeks after Police Chief Bryan Kummerlen announced he will retire six months ahead of schedule.
At a press conference in police headquarters Tuesday, Mayor Jeri Muoio said she didn’t need to undertake a national search when the talent existed in West Palm Beach.
“I’ve been watching her for a few years, the way she interacts with the public,” she said of Mooney, adding that she found Mooney’s background in social work “incredibly helpful in this day and age” when reaching out and trying to understand the community is so important in policing.
Muoio said she consulted on the choice with the police union leadership and found that Mooney has the support of the rank and file.
The depar tment has made strides in recent years but will face the challenge of protecting a city in the midst of unprecedented growth, Mooney said in thanking the mayor for her confidence.
Mooney became assistant chief shortly after Kummerlen became chief in May 2014. She would be the department’s second female chief, after Delsa Bush, who served from 2004 to 2011.
Mooney joined the department in 1995, after earning a Bachelor of Social Work degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Keep up with The Post’s complete coverage of West Palm Beach on its Facebook page dedicated to the city. On Facebook, search for Post on West Palm Beach.
and a Master of Social Work from Florida State University.
She spent 12 years as a patrol officer before moving up to serge ant and then lieutenant in the Patrol Division. In 2010, she earned the rank of captain, managed the Criminal Investigations Division and served as Internal Affairs commander before becoming assistant chief in June 2014. She serves as treasurer of the Palm Beach County Association of Chiefs of Police.
The Special Olympics is particularly meaningful for Mooney, whose stepson Josh, born with Down syndrome, took part in the competition for years before his death in 2007 at age 34. She and Bob Mooney, Josh’s father, have been involved in the Special Olympics for decades and