Sarasota police hire former Maryland lieutenant colonel as deputy chief

Sarasota has a new deputy chief.

Steve Moyer, a former Maryland State Police lieutenant colonel, fills the new position at the police department.

Chief Bernadette DiPino last month chose Moyer to fill the second-in-command post. Moyer’s salary is $118,000.

The position is a new post DiPino created shortly after starting as chief in Sarasota in December, 2012.

In an email to police department staff, DiPino listed Moyer’s background—which includes commanding several criminal investigative units for the Maryland State Police. In 1994, he was promoted to lieutenant overseeing the legislative services unit, where “he wrote and reviewed legislation for the state police.” Moyer also served as commander of the Governor’s executive protection unit for a year. After being promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2001, Moyer served as the deputy secretary for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. He finished his career with the Maryland State Police, commanding the homeland Security and Criminal Investigation Bureau. Moyer retired from the State Police in 2007.

The five other finalists for the position included:
• Jack Carter, detective at the Sarasota Police Department.
• Michael Maniago, chief of police in Torrington, Conn.
• Lee Spector, retired in 2009 as Fort Lauderdale Police captain.
• Paul Sutton, captain at the Sarasota Police Department.
• Milton Wiener, internal affairs investigator at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

For more on this story see the May 16 issue of the Sarasota Observer.