Our History

\

The Boynton Beach Police Department was established on June 12, 1920. Over the years, the Department has hired 30 Chiefs of Police, including our current Chief, G. Matthew Immler.   The Boynton Beach Police Department has come a long way since the early days when Fred Benson, the first Town Marshall, or what is now called Chief of Police for the department, served as a one-member staff, with a bicycle as his only means of transportation. Today, however, the Department is a full-service law enforcement agency, with a 164 member force of sworn personnel and 71 highly-skilled, dedicated and culturally diverse men and women who are committed to excellence through training, education and professionalism.

Contrasted to the 1920's when the City had a population of 600, and when bicycles were used as the primary mode of transportation, the Department now has 109  motor  vehicles, and provides service to Boynton's 15.7 square miles and its population of a little more than 67,000. The City of Boynton Beach is divided into ten patrol zones which are staffed by motor vehicle patrol units and augmented by a series of specialized units that have specific tasks to increase manpower efficiency and effectiveness when dealing with problem areas. These units include Traffic, Community Relations, Community Patrol (Bike), Tactical Patrol, Marine Patrol,  K-9, Crime Prevention, Professional Standards, Criminal Investigations, Intelligence Section and S.W.A.T; thus all working in concert to achieve the goals and objectives of the Police Department.

The Mission of Boynton Beach Police Department, is:

All members of the Boynton Beach Police Department shall work in concert to provide effective, efficient and impartial police services to our community.

Our personnel will remain mindful of the public trust associated with their position and will selflessly execute their duties for the betterment of our community.

We will maintain an open, honest and respectful dialogue with our community and with each other in order to cultivate the successful partnerships needed to address both law enforcement and quality of life issues.

Boynton Beach is a city on the move... A City which is shaping its own destiny by addressing the issues and concerns of its citizens, as well as taking a leadership role, by constantly seeking innovative ways of dealing with and solving contemporary community problems. The  Police Department is playing an instrumental role in protecting life and property, anticipating and resolving problems, apprehending criminals, and by taking an active role in community policing. Together, the City is thrusting forward and breaking new grounds for years to come...

"A Tradition of Law Enforcement Excellence"