by JULIE B. MAGLIO
[email protected]
President Trump has nominated Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida. Her predecessor William Benedict Berger Sr. was appointed by President Obama in 2010.
U.S. Marshals are the enforcement arm of the federal courts. Marshals are appointed by the President for four-year terms. There is one U.S. Marshal for each federal judicial district (94) and they oversee the activities of their respective district. There are around 3,570 deputy U.S. Marshals and criminal investigators conducting the day to day operations of the agency. Some responsibilities include protecting the federal judiciary, apprehending federal fugitives, managing and selling seized assets acquired by criminals through illegal activities, housing and transporting federal prisoners and operating the Witness Security Program, according to the U.S. Marshal Service.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement on Bevan’s appointment, “I am pleased the President has nominated Chief Bevan to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida,” Rubio said. “I believe that Chief Bevan is highly qualified for this position, and I am confident that her 33 years of experience and leadership in Florida’s law enforcement community will serve the people of the Middle District of Florida well. I look forward to supporting her confirmation.”
The Middle District of Florida covers a large portion of the state, over 350 miles from Florida’s northeast corner bordering Georgia to south of Naples. The district includes 35 of Florida’s 67 counties.
Bevan became the Bradenton Police Chief in 2016, overseeing a department of 180 personnel. Prior to this position, she served the St. Petersburg Police Department for 29 years.
Upon retirement from the St. Petersburg department, she was serving as Assistant Chief. Bevan is the former domestic partner of Jane Castor, who is currently the Mayor of Tampa and formerly the City of Tampa Police Chief (2009 to 2015).
