OCOEE, Fla. — Ocoee has a new police officer with a historic appointment.
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Vincent L. Ogburn took over the job exactly two months ago after serving as interim for about five months.
He sat down with Channel 9 to discuss his position as the first Black police chief to wear the uniform.
In the Ocoee Police Department, the uniforms are on display dating back to 1980.
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“I’m very humbled and honored, knowing the history of Ocoee,” Ogburn said. “I don’t take it for granted.”
Ocoee was once known as a sundown town.
In 1920, a white mob formed under the leadership of then-Orlando Police Chief Colonel Sam Salisbury and Orange County Sheriff Frank Gordon burned hundreds of Black people out of their homes, killed some of them and lynched July Perry.
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Ogburn started his career as a state trooper in 1991.
He retired as a deputy chief from the Orlando Police Department and took on the role of deputy chief in Ocoee four years ago.
“I just want to build on that foundation and as the agency grows and the city grows,” Ogburn said.
About 50,000 people live in Ocoee now and businesses and homes are coming online daily.
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Ogburn hopes to add more officers with about 12 to 15 vacancies, leaving little room for specialized units like bike officers who could focus on unique areas.
One thing that will be in place soon is cameras in school zones.
Testing could start soon, and drivers will receive warnings. Enforcement will begin around the start of the school year.
“We have a lot of students that walk to school, use the sidewalks and live within that buffer zone where school buses are not afforded to them,” Ogburn said.
Ocoee is working through its budget process, so the department will determine if more officers will be allocated.
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