Office of the Chief

Acting Chief Richard Del Toro

Richard R. Del Toro, Jr., has over 26 years of law enforcement experience with the Port St. Lucie Police Department and was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief of Police in August 2012.

For the past 10 years as Assistant Chief of Police, Richard has commanded 393 sworn/civilian personnel, over 200 volunteers, and managed an overall budget of approximately 60 million dollars. He has worked in a variety of positions during his career to include road patrol, the Special Investigations Division, Internal Affairs, and as the Commander of the Professional Standards Division and S.W.A.T. Team. Richard holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University and is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute Administrative Officer's Course and Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute’s Leadership Academy.

Throughout his career, the City of Port St. Lucie has continuously been recognized as the “Safest Large City in the State of Florida” by having the lowest crime rate for cities with a population over 100,000 residents. Richard has implemented modern crime reduction processes and strategies in order to achieve the department’s mission of providing superior customer service and remaining one of America’s safest cities. Since 2012, the crime rate within the City of Port St. Lucie has been reduced by 56%

The Port St. Lucie Police Department has also been recognized as having the highest standards in the policing profession through the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) for over 25 years. In 2020, the police department was again re-accredited through CALEA for the 8th time, this time with “Excellence”, making the Port St. Lucie Police Department one of few agencies throughout the United States and internationally to achieve this status. In 2022, the agency was also re-accredited through CFA for the 8th time and awarded our 4th “Excelsior” status signifying decades of continued dedication and professionalism in policing.

Community service, a commitment to excellence, and being the very best public servant to his community have been the foundation for Richard’s leadership style and career. He is extremely is passionate about our community and improving the quality of life for others. Currently, he proudly serves as the on the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of St. Lucie County and as President of the Treasure Coast Hope for the Homeless Foundation. In 2017, he was appointed by then Governor Rick Scott to serve as a Council Member on the Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County.