Ogburn is sworn in as the city of Ocoee’s first black police chief

History was made on Tuesday, May 7, when Vincent L. Ogburn was sworn in as the City of Ocoee’s first Black police chief.

Ogburn had served as acting chief since November after former chief Saima Plasencia was fired.

Prior to November, Ogburn was deputy chief of operations, a position he had held since 2020, when he joined the Ocoee Police Department.

“It means a lot to be elected chief,” Ogburn said. “I don’t take it for granted. I have an agency filled with men and women who want to do the job and know how to do it. It’s my job to make sure they have the right tools to stay safe. Then I have the community to listen to and protect. We also have the city administration with whom we have to be on equal terms. Here it is a team effort. We are more than just a police department. It’s a very difficult title and there are some big shoes to fill, but I’m very receptive and honored to be in this position.”

LIFESPAN

Ogburn was born in New York and grew up on a farm in Virginia. After high school he enlisted in the US Navy.

“I wanted to serve,” he said. “We are a military family. My father and some of my brothers and sisters served. We have some in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. We always wanted to help people. Here I am, years later, still in a service capacity.”

Ogburn served five years on active duty, one year in the active reserve and two years in the inactive reserve as a hospital medic in the U.S. Marines.

When he left the Marines, he began looking for jobs.

Although he originally worked for a contracting company that loaded and unloaded ships in Jacksonville, he was looking for a job with more benefits and a career that would challenge him – not just physically, but mentally too.

Ogburn began his 33-year law enforcement career in 1991 with the Florida Highway Patrol for Orange and Osceola counties.

Ogburn was hired by the Orlando Police Department in 1996 and served that agency for more than 23 years.

During his tenure, Ogburn served the Orlando community in the patrol division, special operations division, public information officer and chief of staff director. He retired with the rank of deputy chief.

At the OPD, Ogburn often passed Ocoee. He never considered working for the city until he was nearing retirement and learned in the West Orange Times & Observer that a deputy chief in Ocoee was retiring.

He submitted his application, talked to his family and prayed for the opportunity.

All stars aligned.

ONE OCOEE

Although the Ocoee Police Department is small, Ogburn said the team is powerful and the connections are what set the department apart.

“The connection our officers have with the community is very special,” he said. “We have a lot of officers from Ocoee who work for the agency. They know the people and it’s like family. Luckily we don’t have the call volume like other larger agencies. We can take the time to not only help resolve situations, but also get to the deeper roots of the problems and really help in the long term.”

Ogburn said one of the department’s biggest challenges is the region’s youth population.

“I believe in talking to them and showing them what they can do,” he said. “Be role models for them. Sometimes you open them up a new path or connect them to a new resource they’ve never thought of before. The nice thing about it is that you have the opportunity to connect with them later in their life and sometimes they thank you.”

One of the greatest lessons Ogburn has learned throughout his years of service is to always listen to people.

“You may not always have the answer, but the person may have their own answer and are just talking so that someone will listen and get reassurance that they are on the right path or doing the right thing,” he said. “You give them that little extra push. Let them know that they have this and that they are no different from anyone else. If they want that, they should seek their own goals and opportunities.”

Ogburn hopes to continue building on the department’s foundation, managing the area’s growth, continuing to educate the public about safety and planning more community engagement events with residents.

“I have an open-door policy,” he said. “Call me – good or bad. I love these conversations.”

Although the work isn’t always easy, Ogburn said he remains passionate about the work because of the people.

“You want to help people, and people want help,” he said. “We’re in a time now where people see people who need help, but they just drive by and say it’s not their problem. If you can check in with that person and ask how you can help them, and they see a person in uniform and not someone who is trying to scam them or has malicious intent, then they know they can trust us. Sometimes it’s not physical help that they need. Sometimes they just want to talk. Knowing we can offer that is a pretty good feeling.”

Ogburn lives just outside of Ocoee in the Winter Garden area with his wife of 30 years, Francina, whom he met at FHP. She is a school resource officer for Orange County Public Schools.

The couple has two sons, Vincent Jr. and Jordan, and a daughter, Raelin. The Ogburns are also new grandparents.