- April 16, 2024
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After a 36-year career in law enforcement, Flagler Beach Police Chief Dan Cody will retire this September, he announced on Monday.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Cody said. “I’ve met a lot of friends here over the years, and I’ll cherish them forever.”
But, he added, he is excited to retire to spend more time with his family. A lifelong Flagler County resident himself, Cody has 17 grandchildren, 14 of whom live within the county.
Cody’s retirement will take effect Oct. 1. He will be the last of the city’s police chiefs. In July, the Flagler Beach City Commission decided to reorganize both its police and fire department, replacing respective chiefs with captains who will earn less and work in a more hands-on manner.
In anticipation of these upcoming changes, Cody decided now was the time to retire — but not out of malice, he said. Rather, he had been planning to retire next year, but when he heard of the impending organizational changes, he decided it was most prudent that his transition out of the department happen at the same time as the transition to captaincy happens.
"It kind of gave me a good excuse to retire sooner," Cody said. "It makes more sense for just one person to handle these upcoming changes."
Cody started his career in law enforcement in the late 1970s, with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. He then worked for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a part-time officer while working full-time as a mechanic. He joined the Flagler Beach Police Department in 1993.
He has been the agency’s chief for six years.
To the rest of the department, losing Cody will be like losing an institution around work. Detective Liz Williams, who has known and worked with Cody for 19 years, supports his choice, but said she can't imagine work without him.
"We've been through deaths and births, a lot of happy times and a lot of sad times," Williams said. "He's part of the family."
Flagler Beach City Manager Bruce Campbell will front the search for Cody’s replacement.
“The timing is right,” Cody said. “I just figured it’s time to let someone else take charge.”
