Capt. David Vincent retires from CCSO after 27 years
Left: Citruss County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. Right: Captain David Vincent.
Captain Vincent began his career as a Communications Officer in 1993 and soon transferred to the Patrol Division, where he worked as a Patrol Deputy until he was promoted to a detective in the Special Investigations Unit (SVU) in 1996.
In 1998, Captain Vincent was selected as Narcotic Officer of the Year for Florida's Region 3 by the Florida Narcotic Officers' Association. During his tenure with the SVU, Captain Vincent became known for his technical skills and expertise in wiretapping.
In 2002, Captain Vincent transferred into the School Resource Deputy (SRD) program, where he achieved the rank of Sergeant in 2011. During his tenure in the SRD program, Vincent helped develop the High School Choices program curriculum and other programs to identify at-risk children in school. In this capacity, Captain Vincent positively touched the lives of many children.
In 2012, Vincent was selected to oversee the East Patrol Division's Community Crimes Unit as a Sergeant, and developed community outreach programs like the Beverly Hills Clean Up. He also supervised the East District's property crimes detectives. Under Vincent's exceptional leadership, the CCSO saw double-digit reductions in reported burglaries each year.
Captain Vincent was promoted to Lieutenant of the Training Division in 2014. As a cutting edge law enforcement leader, Vincent made sure that each deputy was equipped with tourniquets and trauma kits, and kept his agency up to date with the national law enforcement landscape.
Vincent helmed the Citrus County Public Safety Training Center at the Withlacoochee Technical College, where hundreds of recruits were trained to be law enforcement officers.
In 2016, Vincent achieved the rank of Captain over the Training Division. As Captain, Vincent drilled home the need for advanced active shooter training, and conducted real-life training scenarios at Lecanto High School, testing the skills of responding deputies.
Recognizing Vincent's dedication and drive for success, in early 2017, Sheriff Mike Prendergast transferred Captain Vincent to serve as Commander of the East Patrol Divisio. During this assignment, Vincent oversaw the Patrol Division for the eastern portion of Citrus County and supervised the CCSO Domestic Violence Unit and victim advocates.
In 2019, Sheriff Prendergast entrusted Captain Vincent with leadership of the Division of Special Operations, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency's largest division, and supervising the agency's specialty teams, Aviation and Marine units, Animal Control Unit, Fleet Management, Community Relations Unit, and the volunteer program.
Since 1997, Captain Vincent has served on the agency's Hazardous Devices Team (Bomb Team), and in 2004, he took over as team leader. Under his leadership, the Bomb team successfully integrated with other specialty teams, and its highly skilled bomb technicians serve on both the CCSO SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) and Dive teams. In 2012, Vincent was instrumental in the Dive team locating a firearm used in a murder that was later thrown into the water from the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa, FL.
"Captain David Vincent served as a mentor, coach, counselor, trainer, and leader to many within the Citrus County Sheriff's Office," said Sheriff Prendergast. "His hard work and fearless dedication to our agency's mission will be greatly missed. We are truly excited for Captain Vincent's future endeavors and wish him and his family tremendous success."
Captain Vincent is a graduate of the University of Louisville's Southern Police Institute's Administrative Officers Course and the FBI National Academy, and a respected leader in the public safety community.