Melanie Bevan became the Chief of the Bradenton Police Department in 2016 and has over 38 years of law enforcement experience. The department has a combined sworn and civilian strength of 193 personnel, serving a community of approximately 57,000 citizens.
Chief Bevan holds her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, a Master’s degree in Public Administration, and her Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership. She is a 2005 graduate of the 219th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy. In 2012, Chief Bevan was one of 13 law enforcement leaders nationwide chosen to attend the Anti-Defamation League National Counter Terrorism Seminar for Police Executives held in Israel. She is an adjunct professor in the Homeland Security Program for the State College of Florida and has worked as an authenticator for Major League Baseball for the past 20 years.
Chief Bevan is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and serves on the Executive Board as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Florida Police Chiefs Association. Chief Bevan was the recipient of the 2018 Women’s Resource Center’s Manatee Wonder Woman Award. She was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to the Criminal Punishment Code Task Force in 2019, and to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission in 2020. She was recognized by the Florida House of Representatives as the “Law Enforcement Officer of the Day” in 2021. In 2023, Chief Bevan received the Pat Glass First Responder Leadership Award.
Bradenton Police Department
Phone: (941) 932-9357