APD adds five new officers to its force; will ask for another 10 in the 2024/25 budget

Much has been said about millennials and gen-Xers by older generations. Stereotypes perceive millennials and Gen Xers as less hardworking, less committed, and less experienced. But in this community, you don't have to look any further than the Apopka Police Department to disprove that notion.

The APD added five new officers to its ranks Wednesday at a swearing-in ceremony at City Hall, ages 24-34.

Officers Carlos Arias, Daniel Durazo, Erik Nilsson, Maxwell Francisco, and Nicholas Kasheta took an oath to protect and serve the people of Apopka before a crowd of family, friends, residents, and elected officials.

These five new officers, along with three additional officers currently in the police academy, bring the APD's numbers to 118 sworn officers. And that is where the roster will stay, heading into the 2024/25 budget workshops.

According to Apopka Police Chief Michael McKinley, he'd like to see that roster increased to 128.

"To keep up with growth and to ensure the police department is meeting the needs of our community, we will be requesting ten additional sworn positions for the FY24/25 budget. Our TY24/25 budget request will not be requesting any significant items other than personnel, vehicle replacements and new vehicles for the additional personnel. At this time, our salaries are competitive with the surrounding market, so we are not requesting an increase in salaries, which is often a large budget item."

And a change in strategy by the APD may also make it more competitive in the market.

“Four of the five officers sworn in on June 26^th were sponsored by the Apopka Police Department to attend the law enforcement academy," McKinley said. "Previously, we focused on hiring certified law enforcement applicants, which has limited our pool of applicants since COVID. Shifting to sponsoring applicants through the police academy has expanded our applicant pool and increased our hiring numbers. The addition of these five officers will greatly aid us in reaching our authorized strength of 132 officers. The new officers performed excellent in the academy and we expect them to continue their high performance as they serve our community.”

According to McKinley, the goal is to achieve a per capita ratio of 2.4 to 2.5 officers per 1,000 residents. Prior to COVID, it aimed for a ratio of 2.42.

Another factor to consider is the city's size, which is significant at 36 square miles and necessitates more officers to cover it adequately.

 "With the ten additional officers we are requesting for FY24/25, our per capita ratio, based on a population of 60,000 residents, will be 2.36," McKinley said. "To achieve a ratio of 2.4 officers per 1,000 residents, we would need 146 authorized positions, and for a ratio of 2.5, we would need 150 authorized sworn positions. Thanks to the support of the Mayor and City Commissioners, we have made significant progress in increasing our authorized numbers over the past few years. With their continued support, I am confident we can continue to grow to meet the needs of our community."

Officer Carlos Arias is 30 years old and was born in New Jersey. He was raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he graduated from Elizabeth High School in 2011. Arias attended County College, where he earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice. He completed the police academy in 2024 from Valencia Community College. Arias is married and has one child. Carlos’s hobbies include spending time with family and being outdoors. "I've always had a deep admiration for the role law enforcement plays in our community," Arias said.

He has wanted to be an officer since he could remember. 

Officer Daniel Durazo is 26 years old and was born in Kankakee, Illinois. He was raised in Pembroke Pines, where he graduated from Pembroke Pines Charter High School in 2016. Durazo attended The University of Central Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science and political science. Officer Durazo completed the police academy in 2023 from Valencia Community College. Daniel’s hobbies include spending time with friends and writing. "I wanted to dedicate my life to the betterment of others," he said when asked why he became a police officer. 

Officer Erik Nilsson is 24 years old and was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was raised in Warrington, Pennsylvania where he graduated from Platte Canyon High School in 2018. Nilsson attended Eastern Florida State College, where he earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice. He completed the police academy in 2024 at Valencia Community College. He is currently engaged to be married. Erik’s hobbies include reading, praying, and shooting. When asked why he chose law enforcement as a career, Nilsson said that he, too, wanted to be able to dedicate his life to bettering the lives of others. 

Officer Maxwell Francisco is 32 years old and was born in Passaic, New Jersey. He was raised in Passaic, New Jersey, where he graduated from Passaic High School in 2010. Francisco completed the police academy in 2019 from the Bergen County Police Academy. He worked as a patrol officer for the Paterson Police Department for five years. Francisco completed the EOT program in 2024 from Valencia Community College. He is married to his wife, Natalie, and they share a son, Lucas, and daughter, Gabriella. Francisco's hobbies include singing, riding motorcycles, and spending time with family. "I wanted to provide my family with a better quality of life as a first-generation officer and to close the gap between the community and police through positive policing," he said when asked why he became a police officer.

Officer Nicholas Kasheta is 34 years old and was born in Connecticut. He was raised in South Windsor, Connecticut, where he graduated from Howell Cheyanne Technical High School in 2007. Kasheta attended Capital Community College and Valencia Community College, where he earned degrees in paramedic and firefighter minimum standards. He completed the police academy in 2024 from Valencia Community College. Kasheta is married to his wife, Caitlin. His hobbies include spending time with Caitlin and their assortment of animals, which include two horses, six dogs, and two goats. He also enjoys volunteering in his community and working for the family’s non-profit organization, Kasheta Farms. When asked why he chose law enforcement as a career, Kasheta said that he wanted to advance his knowledge in public safety and serve in his community to make an impact on the citizens.

Welcome to Apopka, Officers Arias, Durazo, Nilsson, Francisco, and Kasheta and thank you for your service to the community.

The Apopka City Budget Workshops are scheduled for July 9th-11th.