By Mayor Bryan Nelson

With November starting Saturday and Chief Lovetta Quinn-Henry starting her new role as Apopka Chief of Police, I would like to share some of Chief McKinley’s accomplishments while he served at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Chief Quinn-Henry’s accomplishments at the city of Orlando.  

Chief McKinley served more than three decades at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office before coming to Apopka as the new chief in 2015. Under Chief McKinley’s leadership, the Apopka Police Department (APD) became state accredited in 2017. This prestigious designation included a rigorous process with best practices, accountability and excellence in law enforcement.  

Chief McKinley and our communications department worked diligently to become accredited in 2022, signifying their commitment to the highest standards.  

He also championed the “Shop with a Cop” Program to donate toys to less-fortunate children in our area. Each Christmas, our police officers take children through the toy aisles of Walmart to select toys of their choice using gift cards donated by many local individuals and businesses. What a unique interaction for our men and women in blue with the youth of Apopka.  

We have also added Cops and Bobbers, another event for our police officers to connect with our youth while fishing at Rock Springs Run. Our youth and public safety programs have been a hit with young people, and our Citizens Police Academy has donated thousands of community service hours in support of APD.  

Chief McKinley has managed the strategic growth of the department, including staffing levels, technology and resources. We have equipped every officer with body-worn cameras that are integrated into the entire system, promoted professional development at all levels, and instituted crisis intervention, de-escalation and autism training at APD.  

We are eternally grateful for his 10 years of service to the city and wish him well. As his last initiative, Chief McKinley has laid a path forward for Chief Lovetta Quinn-Henry. 

Captain Lovetta Quinn-Henry started her career as a patrol officer (2000-06) in Orlando, was promoted to detective (2006-09) and then promoted again to sergeant (2009-14).  

During those formative years, Captain Quinn-Henry received a wide range of experiences in areas including youth mentor, investigator and administrator. Along the way, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Columbia College, Master of Arts in Public Administration from Troy, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice from Liberty University.  

She moved up to lieutenant in 2014, critical incident stress management team commander in 2017, and police labor advisor/captain in 2018. As a captain, she managed the Community Relations Division with a staff of 176 officers and a $17 million dollar budget.  

In 2022, she was promoted to deputy chief and managed a $22 million dollar budget all while making her department more efficient and responsive to the needs of her constituents.  

With these numerous awards and accomplishments, the City Council was proud to nominate Chief Quinn-Henry to be our next police chief to lead the Apopka Police Department forward into the next decade. We are excited about the direction that she is mapping out for the city of Apopka.