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The Villages
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Details come to light surrounding abrupt departure of Wildwood police chief

Chief Paul Valentino

An Oct. 21 electrical fire that severely damaged the Wildwood police station may have harmed more than just the building.

In its aftermath, three members of the police department’s command staff are leaving, possibly due to a dispute with City Manager Jason McHugh over employee health testing.

The retirement of Chief Paul Valentino, effective at the end of the month, was announced at Monday’s meeting of the city commission. The deputy chief and a captain also have submitted their resignations. Valentino did not respond to phone messages left Monday and Tuesday at his office.

A letter sent last month to Human Resources Director Melissa Tuck from Deputy Chief Gerald Olbek asks that employees be tested for possible exposure to mold and asbestos in the building. A copy of the letter also was sent to an Orlando television station, which sent a news crew to Wildwood.

A firm has been hired to evaluate the presence of mold and asbestos, but Mayor Ed Wolf said the city still is awaiting a report. He said no one was asked to enter the building after the fire and employees were told to stay out.

In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, McHugh described Valentino’s retirement as “a separate and unrelated issue” to the controversy surrounding the damaged police station. He said the retirement was the result of an agreement between the chief and the city.

“The city takes the workplace conditions of its employees seriously and continues to investigate the allegations that were made and the city took action to begin the process of completely closing the building until an investigation could be completed,” he wrote. “Investigations regarding all issues are still pending.”

An electrical wire that fell on a fence outside the station was blamed for the fire, which destroyed much of the department’s equipment and sent dispatchers fleeing from the building.

Cleanup was under way in the wake of a fire that damaged the Wildwood Police Department.

The department now is operating out of a rented trailer on the station site. For a while, the department was housed on the second floor of the community center.  

Wildwood plans to build a $7-million police station near the intersection of U.S. 301 and County Road 462 West. Construction has not begun yet, although the city has sold revenue bonds to pay for it.

Wolf said the old station likely would be used only for record storage after it is renovated.

With more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, Valentino was a popular choice nearly two years ago when he was named to succeed retiring chief Eddie Reeser. The appointment was applauded by 20 department employees at a commission meeting and Reeser said Valentino was the most qualified of any applicants.

City officials now are scrambling to name an interim chief to replace Valentino until a permanent chief can be found. McHugh said Monday he will interview applicants and a special commission meeting will be held before Christmas to make the appointment.

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