The City of Fort Pierce is looking for a new Public Affairs Manager for the police department after the agency's spokesperson resigned after less than two years on the job. Curtis Jennings abruptly resigned in November, leaving the agency to search for its eighth Public Information Officer in six years. Jennings told the Dish he was forced to resign from a hostile work environment and said he received little support from Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney during his time at the agency. "Any agency that goes through this many Public Information Officers in such a short time tells you something is wrong, and it starts at the top," Jennings said. The position pays up to $121,374.00 to promote a positive and professional image of the Fort Pierce Police Department through community relations, media relations, and marketing and brand management.
After only one year on the job, a Special Investigator to the Office of the Chief of the Fort Pierce Police Department resigned and wrote a scathing letter to City Hall about his former boss.
On June 1, 2015, Diane Hobley-Burney was appointed Chief of the Fort Pierce Police Department after spending nearly 27 years with the Tampa Police Department.
Soon after, she began filling her Fort Pierce ranks with former co-workers from Tampa. She hired Kenny Norris to be her Deputy Chief and Borthland Murray to be a Special Investigator assigned to her. Murray started his new job in July 2015.
The Chief tasked Murray with auditing department assets, improving the Internal Affairs Division and investigating complaints originating from City Hall.
The job was the perfect fit for the former Tampa Narcotics Detective of the Year and Medal of Valor recipient.
But by July 2016, Murray was fed up and called it quits.
Before leaving, he felt compelled to make the city aware of the turmoil at the Fort Pierce Police Department.
Murray blew the whistle on a fraudulent worker’s compensation claim which alleged an officer injured off-duty was allowed to file a claim that he was hurt on the job to receive insurance benefit compensation.
He also cautioned city leaders about an “unpredictable officer” still patrolling the streets of Fort Pierce. According to Murray, in a six month period, Officer Mathura violated an individual’s civil right with a warrantless search, and got into two concerning altercations. In the first incident, he was on duty and took his gun belt off to fight a citizen questioning his authority; the other, a quarrel with strip club security where he flashed his badge to influence the outcome of the incident.
And the reason why Murray left, because the Chief did nothing.
No action from the Chief to stop the false report of an on the job injury and fraudulent insurance payments.
No action from the Chief after Murray and the Internal Affairs Division repeatedly advised her to have the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigate Officer Murtha.
On March 31, 2016, Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney requested that Officer Dania Francois, a city resident that speaks fluent creole, resigned from her position for failing to meet probationary requirements after the department received anonymous complaints attacking her character.
Officer Francois reached out Sweeties Diner owner and St, Lucie County NAACP Vice-President Rick Reed for help. Redd contacted Fort Pierce City Manager Nick Mimms.
Mimms advised Reed that, “The City Manager is the appointing authority on all employee matters, and all personnel related matters are reviewed by the Human Resources Manager, and ultimately , the City Manager for final determination.’
Without authority from the City Manager to do so, on April 18, 2016, Chief Hobley-Burney submitted an Affidavit of Separation to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement indicating that Officer Francois was separated from employment on April 12, 2016 for “Administrative termination not involving misconduct.”
On June 15, 2016, Mimms wrote a memo to the City of Fort Pierce Human Resources Manager indicating that he did not accept the recommendation of the Chief of Police to fire Officer Francois and that she should be reinstated to regular full time employment.
In September 2022, officer Francois was promoted to Sergeant of the Detective Division of the Fort Pierce Police Department.
Two days after Chief Hobley-Burney sent an Affidavit of Separation to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for Officer Dania Francois, without the approval of the City Manager, Sweeties owner Rick Reed addressed the Fort Pierce City Commission about the matter.
In his address, Reed made generic comments regarding felons. Hobley-Burney, whose son is a felon, took offense and approached Reed after the meeting. "Rick Reed, my son's gonna get you," the Chief, told him, while she was in full police uniform with a gun and badge exposed.
But this wasn't the only time the Chief threatened Reed. Two weeks later, she arrived at Sweeties with Deputy Chief Norris and Deputy Chief Armando - all in uniform and on duty with badges and guns exposed. She asked for Reed by name. When Fort Pierce city leaders investigated the Chief's behavior, she told them she wanted to "Send him (Reed) a message."
Following the incidents, the City of Fort Pierce launched an investigation into the matter, and H.R. Director Kevin Browning found that the Chief had displayed a "Serious lack of judgment,” and recommended her for suspension or termination.
Chief Hobley-Burney disbanded the department's SWAT Team and her former Special Investigator Borthland Murray told city leaders she is, “leaving the department defenseless in a very sensitive area.”
In April 2019, Deputy Chief Robert Riddle, was cleaning a gun at Indian River State College when he accidental fired a shot. No one was hurt. Sources tell the Dish the handgun belonged to Chief Hobley-Burney.
