Freeport police chief to retire after the summer

Freeport Village Police Chief Miguel Bermudez, who has served in the department for more than 30 years, said he will retire in September.

"I felt it was best to be retiring at the top of my game," Bermudez said. "Everything's been going so well in Freeport that I felt it was time for a transition."

Mayor Robert Kennedy said a police chief civil service test will be administered "in the near future," and the job will be given to one of the top three scorers after interviews.

“He’s done an outstanding job as a police chief,” Kennedy said of the 10 years he's worked with Bermudez. “He has an impeccable record for the village of Freeport, and we will miss him dearly.”

Bermudez, 58, will leave the position after serving as chief since November 2010. He joined the department April 1986 and was promoted to sergeant in 1993 before advancing to the top position 17 years later. His current base salary is $251,053.

Bermudez said he had been thinking about retiring for about a year.

He pointed to the crime drop in the village as one of his reasons for leaving now. During his tenure as police chief, he oversaw the implementation of license plate scanners that reportedly produced a 54 percent drop in crime. 

Bermudez said he is also proud of the "expansion of the communication and relationships between the police department and our residents and businesses."

As for retirement plans?

"Oh, I'll do some traveling and other hobbies I enjoy like boating," he said, adding that he's written one book about the history of the Freeport Fire Department and is in the process of writing more, including one on the history of the police department.

Bermudez grew up in Freeport, graduating from Freeport public schools in 1978. He has been a member of the village’s fire department for 41 years. He resides in Freeport.