GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – The City of Gainesville has announced its newest chief of police.
The city announced in a release on Friday that Nelson Moya will assume the chief of police seat. Moya will start his new position effective Monday, September 16.
According to the city, Moya brings more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement. He began his career as a 19-year-old officer in the City of Palm Bay and rose through the ranks to take the helm of the Palm Bay Police Department in 2019.
In 2022, Moya took his policing talents to Suffolk County in Long Island, NY where he implemented the county’s first Threat Assessment and Management team.
Before joining the city, Moya worked for the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) in June 2023 as assistant chief.
He has served as interim chief of police since March 2024.
Since arriving at GPD, Moya has:
- Launched a Gun Violence Prevention Initiative that relies on data collection and analysis to enhance enforcement and intervention efforts
- Strengthened violent crime prevention and intervention efforts through firearm seizures, gun buybacks, and community outreach
- Sharpened the focus on recruitment to bring new officers into the agency
“Our recent search for a new chief of police brought us 45 submitted applications,” says City Manager Cynthia W. Curry. “Seven of those were selected for my review. Nelson Moya was one of the seven, and it became clear that, in this applicant pool, he was far and above the most qualified candidate to meet the needs of our agency.”
Moya was reportedly sworn into office on Friday, Sept. 13.