Commander Theresa Garcia is a twenty-eight-year law enforcement veteran. Commander Garcia holds the responsibility of overseeing Support Services which consists of the Unified Communications Center, Emergency Management, Training and Development, and Basic Training Academies. She began her career in 1997 as a dispatcher before becoming a Police Officer with the Winter Haven Police Department. She later joined the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff, serving as a Detective in both the General Crimes and Strategic Investigations Units. As she rose through the ranks, she served as the Organized Crime Sergeant, Strategic Investigations Lieutenant, Captain of Professional Development, and Director of the Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety at Polk State College.
Commander Garcia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management, and a Master’s Degree in Management, both obtained from Warner University. Additionally, she is a distinguished graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, as well as the Senior Management Institute for Police.