Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced the appointment of Clermont Police Chief Charles Broadway to the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Systems Council. The council is composed of 15 members serving four-year terms. The governor appoints five of the members: two police chiefs, two sheriffs and a clerk of the circuit court.
Broadway’s many accomplishments include serving as a Special Agent Supervisor with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and being appointed to the Florida Police Chiefs Association Subcommittee on Accountability and Societal Change in 2020. He is a member of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, West Central Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Board of Directors.
Chief Charles Broadway was born and raised on Long Island New York. He graduated from St John’s University in Queens N.Y with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. He is also a four-year collegiate athlete and played on the football team for St John’s University.
Chief Broadway began his career with the New York City Police Department, where he was appointed a Detective. After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, he was one of the first responders to Ground Zero and assisted with the search and recovery efforts.
In 2002, Chief Broadway relocated to Florida to be closer to his family and worked for the Gainesville Police Department where he also served as a Detective.
In 2004 Chief Broadway continued to advance in his career in Law Enforcement and was hired by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as a Special Agent where he investigated multi-jurisdictional violent crimes, conducted complex narcotic investigations, human trafficking investigations and gang investigations. Chief Broadway was then promoted to a Special Agent Supervisor, overseeing several investigative functions and state initiatives. He later was chosen to oversee the highly regarded Public Integrity Unit at the agency, which encompassed investigations of alleged misconduct of public officials and all Police Officer-involved shootings in the Central Florida region.
Chief Broadway joined the Clermont Police Department in 2010 as a Captain for the Patrol Division. On July 31, 2012, he was assigned the Interim Chief of Police and was then appointed the Chief of Police on Dec. 11, 2012.
In 2020, the South Lake Chamber of Commerce honored Chief Charles Broadway with the prestigious and well-deserved title as Citizen of the Year and recounted his accomplishments as follows:
Under the leadership of Clermont Police Chief Charles Broadway, the Clermont Police department has developed a strong relationship with the community. They serve as mentors at the Boys and Girls Club, Police Explorer Program and with the Clermont Battalion Naval Sea Cadet Corps. His department hosts the largest National Night Out event in Lake County, Coffee with a Cop, Operation Good Behavior and a Lights and Ladders event. The Chief hosts a Law Enforcement Torch Run and can be seen alongside his officers serving food and beverages during multiple “Tip a Cop” held throughout the city.
Chief Broadway’s initiatives to reduce crime include intelligence-led policing and community policing efforts. Their efforts were recognized by receiving the prestigious Rocky Pomerance Award from the Florida Police Chiefs Association. He also partnered with LifeStream Behavioral Center to fund a Mental Health therapist to be assigned to the Clermont Police Department to provides services and ensure everyone receives assistance and therapeutic care.
Chief Broadway’s commitment to the profession of Law Enforcement reaches beyond the city limits of Clermont. He is the Past President of the West Central Florida Police Chiefs Association and Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute Associates. He serves on the boards for UCF South Lake Advisory Council, Live Well Foundation, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and First Step Inc of the 5th Judicial Circuit and is an alumnus of Leadership Lake. He serves as the liaison for District 14 and on the legislative committee for the Florida Police Chiefs Association. He has been the commencement speaker for several high schools, college and police academy graduations.
During his tenure, there has been a focus on hiring military veterans and officers who reflect a diverse community. He embraces the agency’s core values of Integrity, Honor, Courage, Professionalism and Service Above Self. This includes being only one of a few agencies within Lake County that is accredited through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, hiring outside consultants to conduct promotional testing and increasing standards within the agency while removing officers not upholding the ethics of Law Enforcement.
Realizing the importance of providing advanced training to the members of the agency, Chief sought out partnerships with other organizations. As a result, The City of Clermont hosts training specifically geared to leaders in law enforcement like Southern Police Institute’s Command Officers Development Course and National Tactical Officers Leadership Development which brought together Law Enforcement Professionals from around the country. He promotes numerous health and fitness initiatives for his staff and the community. Among his personal accolades, Chief Broadway received the Life Saving Award for performing the Heimlich maneuver on a person while at a community breakfast meeting.
The Chief is a member of Kiwanis of Clermont and, in his spare time, he and his wife Dana and 4 children donate their time helping those in the community.
In 2021, Police Chief Broadway continues to be an active and very popular member of the community.
The South Lake Tablet recognizes Police Chief Charles Broadway as an impressive leader and an inspiration to the community he serves.
Thank you for your service.
