Daniel Carswell now serving as Chief of the St Augustine Beach Police Department
Melinda Conlon reported to Historic City News the official appointment of St Augustine Beach Police Chief Daniel Carswell from the interim position he has filled since November 9, 2020. The decision of the City Commission was unanimous.
Chief Carswell began his career with the St. Augustine Beach Police Department fifteen years ago in 2006. Carswell served as a patrolman for six years and was promoted to Patrol Sergeant where he supervised the daily activities of a patrol shift as well as the Field Training Program for the agency. He also served as Patrol Operations Lieutenant where he supervised all patrol activities, internal affairs, special events and agency training. Carswell was promoted to the rank of Commander by then Chief of Police, Hardwick in 2020. On November 9, 2020, Carswell was selected by the Commission to serve as Interim Chief of Police.
The St. Augustine Beach City Commission Monday unanimously named Daniel Carswell the chief of police.
Carswell has served as the interim police chief since Nov. 9, when former chief Rob Hardwick was elected sheriff of St. Johns County. During the meeting, Hardwick voiced his strong support for Carswell as both the sheriff and personally from his family as residents of St. Augustine Beach.
Sgt. Natalie Gillespie also spoke favorably of Carswell, telling commissioners he “has poured his heart and soul” into the St. Augustine Beach Police Department since 2006.
“I am very excited and honored to be selected as chief of police,” Carswell said. “The St. Augustine Beach Police Department has an outstanding history of police chiefs who were loved by this community and the officers they led. I hope to continue in that tradition and maintain the reputation that the SABPD has earned. This agency means everything to me, and I am going to continue to work hard to serve this community
The problem, parents say, is that some Liberty Pines Academy students who live in the subdivision walk or bike to and from the K-8 school along a walkway adjacent to the entrance ramp to State Road 9B where cars routinely race by at speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour.
Under state law, students may not be bused if they live less than 2 miles from the school they are zoned for, so about 200 households have not received busing since the 2018-19 school year. Parents fought, unsuccessfully, for an exemption by the school district before the change was enacted at that time.