Angel Rivera selected as Lauderhill’s next police chief
Key Points(5)
- The City of Lauderhill has selected veteran law enforcement official Angel Rivera as its next chief of police, succeeding Chief Constance Stanley, who is retiring in November after 32 years of service to the city.
- City Manager Kennie Hobbs Jr.
- announced Rivera’s selection Monday following a national search and a two-day finalist process that included input from residents, elected officials, police command staff and city leadership.
- Rivera, who has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience, will take office Nov.
- “All three of our finalists were exceptionally qualified and ready to lead a department of this caliber,” Hobbs said.
The City of Lauderhill has selected veteran law enforcement official Angel Rivera as its next chief of police, succeeding Chief Constance Stanley, who is retiring in November after 32 years of service to the city.
City Manager Kennie Hobbs Jr. announced Rivera’s selection Monday following a national search and a two-day finalist process that included input from residents, elected officials, police command staff and city leadership.
Rivera, who has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience, will take office Nov. 2.
“All three of our finalists were exceptionally qualified and ready to lead a department of this caliber,” Hobbs said. “Each brought a record of accomplishment that any city would be proud to have.”
“After careful consideration of their experience, their vision, and the feedback we received from our residents, elected officials, and our team, I am confident that Chief Rivera is the right fit for Lauderhill,” he added.
Rivera currently serves as assistant chief of police with the North Miami Police Department, where he has spent more than a decade as a police executive. As second-in-command, he shares oversight of a $39 million operating budget and is responsible for departmentwide performance and accountability.
According to the city, North Miami recorded all-time lows in Part I crimes under Rivera’s command. He also developed and continues to oversee the department’s five-year strategic plan.
Rivera served as North Miami’s interim police chief in 2023, overseeing the department’s operations and coordinating with the city manager and outside agencies.
During his career with the department, he has served in several leadership roles. As a police major, Rivera modernized North Miami’s CompStat reporting system to improve crime-trend analysis and data-driven deployment. As a police commander, he led the Investigative Section to what the city described as the highest case clearance rate in department history and chaired the Region 7 Gang Initiative.
Rivera also previously served as SWAT commander, authoring the department’s Active Shooter Action Plan and serving as incident commander during barricaded-subject and hostage-rescue operations.
“I am humbled by the confidence that City Manager Hobbs, the Mayor and Commission, and the residents of Lauderhill have placed in me,” Rivera said.
“I want to thank Chief Stanley for her 32 years of dedicated service and for building something truly worth protecting,” he added. “I also want to recognize the men and women of this department, who earn this community’s confidence every day through their hard work. I look forward to serving alongside them.”
Rivera said he would work to build strong relationships, lead with integrity and keep the Lauderhill community safe.
He holds a Master of Arts in public safety from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice administration from Florida International University. He graduated first in his class from the Broward County School of Justice police academy.
Rivera is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University and is a certified assessor for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation. He serves as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Miami Dade College and is fluent in English and Spanish.
Rivera was selected from three finalists, alongside Easton L. McDonald and Richard Perez. The candidates participated in a two-day process Sept. 8 and 9, meeting with Mayor Denise D. Grant, Vice Mayor Richard Campbell, city commissioners, Stanley, police command staff and the city’s executive team.
Residents were also given an opportunity to meet and speak with the finalists during a public meet-and-greet.
“This was a team effort from beginning to end,” Hobbs said. “Our Mayor and Commission, our command staff, our executive team, and our residents each gave their time to this search, and the perspective every one of them brought made this a better-informed decision.”
The city retained Civic Leadership Search Partners LLC to conduct the executive search, with support from Cedric Alexander.
Hobbs also praised Stanley’s service to Lauderhill as she prepares to retire.
“Chief Stanley has given 32 years to this city, and she leaves behind a department that is stronger for her leadership,” he said. “Her commitment to this search, and to the department she has spent her career building, tells you everything about the kind of public servant she has always been.”
