The City of St. Cloud doesn’t just get a new calendar in 2022.
It gets a new police chief as well.
Douglas Goerke, a Patrol Division commander for the Orlando Police Department, has been hired as the new St. Cloud police chief.
Goerke will officially replace Chief Pete Gauntlett, who is retiring at the end of the year, on Jan. 1.
Gauntlett has served as the city’s public safety director as well as police chief for the past 11 years.
City Manager Bill Sturgeon announced the new chief during a luncheon Tuesday honoring Gauntlett. He also, along with the City Council at last week’s meeting, gave him a proper send off.
“Chief Gauntlett served our community well in his 11 years here. After 28 years with the Orlando Police Department, Chief Gauntlett did not slow down,” said Sturgeon, who served side-by-side with Gauntlett for many years when he was city Fire Chief.
“He’s been a champion for the police department, for the hiring of military veterans to serve in law enforcement positions, and for the safety of our community. He has worked tirelessly to help make sure our police department has the tools and personnel it needs to meet the needs of our citizens.”
Goerke has been with OPD — the same agency Gauntlett came to St. Cloud from — for 20 years, starting as an officer and working his way through the ranks. Before recently being assigned as Patrol Division commander, Goerke served for a year as the Director of Airport Police Services for OPD. He also was a deputy chief of police for a year.
“Chief Goerke has the experience, the training, the formal education, and the vision to guide our police department into strategic growth as the city grows,” Sturgeon said. “He will be able to help make sure that our officers are well-trained and wellequipped to ensure the safety of our citizens, and that they are treated with the utmost professionalism and respect.”
Goerke holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Liberty University and a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and holds numerous certifications in specialized law enforcement training.
Chief Goerke will start his new role in January.
After being honored by the City Council last week, Gauntlett took a moment to to honor the city’s SWAT team, which recently took top honors in an international competition for the second year in a row — SWAT Commander Lt. Curtis Wesler, Sgt. Glen Gilbert, Det. Patrick Mannix, Ofc. James Allegood, Sgt. Josh Esh, Det. Kevin Burkhard, Ofc. Justin Ziegler and Ofc. Ben McCormick.
“Those guys set the mark that no other agency of our size as done,” Gauntlett said of the back-to-back honor.
When Mayor Nathan Blackwell issued them his personal “attaboy”, Gauntlett gave the SWAT team his own.
“They run fast, climb well … and shoot really good.”
The City of St. Cloud contributed to this story.
