Tallahassee Police Chief Denny Jones found himself in a media firestorm as shown in the ABC News video over the slaying of 23-year-old Rachel Hoffman, a confidential informant gunned down by drug dealers she didn't know in a botched sting. Hoffman, a Florida State graduate, reluctantly agreed to cooperate to avoid prosecution for a new round of charges related to possessing marijuana. Jones worked with her family to lobby the Florida Legislature to adopt 'Rachel's Law.'
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla -- Dennis "Denny" Jones, one of the Sunshine State's top cops, wants to come home. The Tallahassee police chief and former Daytona Beach police chief is among seven semi-finalists in the running to become New Smyrna Beach's next police chief.
Jones, by far is the most experienced and high profile of the seven candidates to lead the New Smyrna Beach police force. He and Acting Police Chief Michael Brouillette, the only New Smyrna Beach PD applicant, have the strongest name recognition among the seven to replace Ron Pagano who retired in December.
Jones, a decorated cop and president of the Florida Police Chief's Association, has one stigma to overcome in winning the job here: The 2008 murder of 23-year-old Florida State University graduate Rachel Hoffman, a confidential informant and alleged drug user murdered in a Tallahassee PD botched undercover drug deal. The slaying led to "Rachel's law" the following year, mandating stricter guidelines in how confidential informants are used.
"That's a day that's (for)ever-burned in my memory," Jones has said. "I will never forget."
The May 7, 2008 murder created a national media firestorm with Jones appearing on ABC's 20/20 to answer questions.
Hoffman was a reluctant confidential informant, or CI in cop talk, who agreed to exchange $13,000 in cash with two drug dealers she didn't know in exchange for 2 ounces of cocaine, 1,500 ecstasy pills and a handgun.
Though she was shadowed by the narcotics officers, Hoffman agreed to a last minute change of location to do the exchange over the objection of the lead narcotics agent and the undercover officers subsequently lost contact with her. Her body was found two days later, some 50 miles away from where police found one of her flipflops. She had been gunned down with the very gun she was to purchase from her killers.
Hoffman, known as a student who liked to party while at Florida State, agreed to serve as a CI with the alternative being jail for pending drug charges.
The use of CIs was common in Florida before she was gunned down. Though labeled a lawbreaker and given the choice of cooperating in the drug sting in exchange for deferred prosecution from a new round of marijuana-related felony charges, Hoffman didn't fit the profile of a hardened criminal typically used by law enforcers in such operations.
Still, such operations were commonplace throughout the Sunshine State, though this operation went terribly wrong. Jones appeared on ABC News, soon after the homicide, defending the operation, saying in part, "Rachel Hunter was committing crimes in the city of Tallahassee. Yes, she was."
Still, such operations were commonplace throughout the Sunshine State, though this operation went terribly wrong. Jones appeared on ABC News, soon after the homicide, defending the operation, saying in part, "Rachel Hunter was committing crimes in the city of Tallahassee. Yes, she was."
The two killers were successfully prosecuted and given life sentences and a Leon County grand jury issued a scathing report against the Tallahassee PD's handling of the drug sting and the role Hoffman played in it.
Saying he didn't want any other police chief to have to deal with such tragic circumstances, Jones joined forces with Hoffman's parents soon after appearing on ABC News and lobbied the Florida Legislature to pass "Rachel's Law."
"We need to do a better job with this," Jones told reporters for his acknowledgment of the flawed sting and his renewed pledge to make sure something so tragic would not be repeated.
"My responsibility is not just to the Tallahassee Police Department, but for the process as a whole," he said at the time.
Jones was reprimanded and the lead narcotics supervisor fired, though later rehired through arbitration. The city settled a wrongful death suit brought by Hoffman's parents for $2.5 million. Jones said he was pleased Rachel's Law was passed, giving police departments stringent guidelines, something that was clearly lacking.
"This cost a young lady her life," he said stoically.
Jones has moved forward in a very proactive way since then with a comprehensive review of departmental policies and procedures on a whole host of issues. In addition to his police chief duties, Jones is currently president of the Florida Police Chief's Association.
Headline Surfer was unable to reach Jones today for comment on being a finalist for the New Smyrna Beach police chief's position. Jones is on vacation this week, his administrative assistant said.
New Smyrna Beach residents will have the opportunity to meet Jones and the other six semifinalists a week from now.
It's from 4 to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 27, at the Brannon Center, 105 S. Riverside Drive.
“We want our citizens to come to meet the candidates,” City Manager Pam Brangaccio said in a press release issued by the municipality. “This is an important decision for our community, so we really would like to know their impressions of the candidates. We want to make sure that the City and the candidates are well informed with regard to ‘fit’ and make the best decision for all concerned.”
More than 150 applications were received from across the country including Alaska, Seattle and Connecticut, Brangaccio said. The International Association of Police Chiefs, which the City retained to administer the nationwide search, narrowed the list to seven semi-finalists. They are as listed by the city:
• - George E. Markert, director, Office of Public Integrity, Rochester, NY;
• - Dennis M. Jones, police chief, Tallahassee;
• - James L. Cetran, police chief, Wethersfield, Conn.;
• - John S. Bukata, former police chief, Oakland Park, FL;
• - Michael Brouillette, interim police chief, New Smyrna Beach
• - Laren J. Zager, police chief, Fairbanks, Alaska,
• - J. Michael Deal, Deputy Police Chief, Altamonte Springs.
The City’s human resources director, assistant city manager, business and residential representatives and Brangaccio will interview the semi-finalists.
After reviewing candidate information from the IACP, community input, and interview results, Brangaccio will appoint the police chief subject to approval by the City Commission, the city's press release stated.
The new police chief could be hired at the April 23 City Commission meeting. The position vacancy was announced January 15 with a closing date of Feb. 15.
Earlier this year, residents provided officials input to help to guide the candidate selection process. A series of public meetings were held for various constituent groups Jan. 22-23.
Neither Brangaccio nor Mayor Adam Barringer returned calls for comment.