Frank Fitzgerald — Instructor Profile

About Frank Fitzgerald

Lieutenant Franklin F. Fitzgerald began his law enforcement career when he enlisted into the United States Army, where he served as a Military Policeman. He served with the 3rd Infantry Division throughout his service term, deploying to Kuwait, Bosnia, and Iraq. In late 2003, he received an Honorable Discharge.

Lieutenant Fitzgerald joined the Lakeland Police Department in 2004. His assignments as a police officer included Field Training Officer and the agency’s DUI Enforcement Unit. While assigned to the DUI Enforcement Unit, he conducted nearly 3000 impaired driving investigations and is a six-time recipient of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Florida, Century Award.

As a Sergeant, he was a supervisor in the uniform patrol division. In 2014, Lieutenant Fitzgerald transferred to the Polk State College – Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety (KCTIPS). He coordinated basic law enforcement academy classes and trained hundreds of future Florida law enforcement officers. During his tenure, he assisted the academy in receiving CALEA reaccreditation with excellence under “The Gold Standard.”

Lieutenant Fitzgerald serves as the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the agency’s Planning & Research Unit, Grant Administration, Training Unit, and the Field Training & Evaluation Program. As the Planning & Research OIC, he assists the executive staff in project development, such as implementing the Pursuit Intervention Technique and Body-Worn Cameras. As the Training Unit OIC, he has developed various training courses to help the organization’s supervisors gain critical institutional knowledge.