Former Florida police chief accused of misconduct toward employees to be paid in full until retirement in 2024

Former police chief accused of misconduct

The former police chief in Cocoa Beach will stay on paid leave for more than a year before he retires. He signed an agreement with the city Tuesday following an investigation into alleged misconduct.

COCOA BEACH, Fla. - The former police chief in Cocoa Beach will stay on paid leave for more than a year before he retires.

Former Chief Scott Rosenfeld signed an agreement with the city Tuesday following an investigation into alleged misconduct. The document states that both sides wanted to resolve the dispute amicably.

Rosenfeld was put on paid leave last February. In a report from a third-party investigation, Rosenfeld was accused of yelling and bullying employees, calling employees fat, showing one of them a photo of a naked porn star, and using slurs. The former chief denied the allegations.

"It’s unfortunate the way that it all worked out, but it’s an amicable outcome for both the chief and the city," said City Commissioner Skip Williams.

After signing an agreement with the city, Rosenfeld will continue to be paid in full until the end of August 2024, with his accrued paid time off, which is about $130,000 before taxes. That will take him to his official retirement, with a box checked "not involving misconduct."

The city's investigation is now over. Since the agreement was mutual, it didn't go to a vote by the city commission.

"It has to be brought to the city commission to fire a police chief, and that never got to that point," Commissioner Williams said.

The city said Deputy Chief Mullins will keep running the department for now. It plans to hire an interim chief in the next couple of months.