Chief Mark D. Barker

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Professional Experience

Over 29-years of progressive law enforcement leadership and operations experience with the City of Holly Hill Police Department.

Chief Barker takes great pride in his service as a proactive law enforcement professional with extensive experience leading, training, and motivating police personnel and commanding emergency response operations.

He enjoys diverse contacts in the national and international law enforcement community, and has achieved an extensive training portfolio which includes specialized and advanced education and practical experience in all aspects of law enforcement and emergency management.

Chief Barker has a strong operational background in community policing, counter-narcotics, professional standards, and the strategic management of law enforcement operations and personnel.

He is a 1996 graduate of the 187th Session of the FBI National Academy.

 

In January 2009, he was appointed Chief of Police by the City Commission with direct responsibility for the management, budgeting, and administrative oversight of the Police Department.  Since assuming command, Chief Barker has implemented an innovative community-oriented initiative focusing on intelligence-led policing concepts known as the Tactical Enforcement Action Model (TEAM); and has promoted aggressive multi-jurisdictional gang suppression operations.

 

As a certified Florida Professional Emergency Manager, Chief Barker serves as the City’s Emergency Management Coordinator with responsibility for the development and maintenance of emergency response, recovery, and continuity of operations plans for the City of Holly Hill. In May 2009, he managed the police department’s effective response to an unprecedented flooding event which resulted in a Presidential Disaster declaration to include logistical planning and support for a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center.  His emergency management experience includes preparing and responding to multiple natural disasters, including Hurricane Andrew, the Florida Fire Storms, and the 2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season which resulted in three Presidential Disaster declarations in two-months. For his efforts Chief Barker received the Meritorious Service Award for Extraordinary Community Service.

 

In addition, Chief Barker is a frequent contributor to regional print and electronic media outlets, and he has represented the agency nationally on the Fox New Channel's "Geraldo at Large" and the hit true crime series "Snapped" on the Oxygen Network.

 

Since his appointment, Chief Barker has developed an aggressive counter-narcotics initiative targeting clandestine methamphetamine laboratories and residential-based drug distribution locations. In addition, he established our department’s widely publicized presence on the social networking site Twitter - and the community notification service Nixle - as part of a comprehensive community relations and communications program.  Chief Barker has enjoyed the privilege of serving in progressively responsible positions with the agency to include patrol officer, crime prevention/community relations officer, public information officer, and undercover narcotics detective.  In addition, Chief Barker served as past President of the Volusia Crime Prevention Association and chaired the Volusia/Flagler Police Chiefs Association’s protocol committee for multi-jurisdictional incident command.

 

In November 2010, Chief Barker received Commission appointment as Interim City Manager, serving as the municipal Chief Executive Officer for the City of Holly Hill until April 2011 when he was reappointed Chief of Police. 

 

In 2012, Chief Barker was tapped as a staff liasion to the City of Holly Hill's Green Task Force developing public policy recommendations for eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable best practices for government and the private sector.    

 

Past Operational Assignments and Major Commands include:

 

Commander – Law Enforcement Operations                  2001 – 2009

Police Lieutenant – Operations & Administration           1997 – 2001

Police Sergeant – Criminal Investigations Division         1992 – 1997

Uniformed Patrol Officer & Criminal Investigator            1983 – 1992

 

Military Service:

U.S. Army Military Police Corps     1979 – 1985
345th Military Police Company (EG)  81st ARCOM 
United States Army Reserve

 

Professional Development Highlights:

United States Army Military Police School – Ft. McClellan, Alabama

187th Session FBI National Academy – Quantico, Virginia

Florida Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar

Cross-Designated United States Customs Officer – Blue Lightning Strike Force

United States Drug Enforcement Administration Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs School

Florida Professional Emergency Manager – Florida Emergency Preparedness Association

FEMA Professional Development Series – National Emergency Management Training Center

Chief Executive Seminar Class 128 - National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

National Incident Management System – Command & General Staff Level Certified

Weapons of Mass Destruction Response - Emergency Operations Training Academy (Distance)

Conflict Management & Negotiation - Inter-American Defense College, Washington DC (Distance)

Police Officer of the Year – 1983
Police Officer of the Year – 1990
Police Officer of the Year – 1991
Police Officer of the Year – 1995
City of Holly Hill Employee of the Year – 2007

Interim City Manager - November 2010 to April 2011

Mayoral Proclamation - "Mark Barker Day" March 2011

 

Aviation Accomplishments:

 

FAA Certified Commercial Pilot – Instrument Rated (Private Privileges – Seaplane)
FAA Certificated Flight Instructor – Airplane
European Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) Certificated Flight Instructor

Authored TSA-Compliant Recurrent Security Awareness Syllabus for Flight Schools and Instructors

Authored FAA Approved Training Course Outline (TCO) Private/Commercial (A-SEL)

 

Professional Associations/Community Involvement: 

Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Associates
International Association of Chiefs of Police
Florida Police Chiefs Association

Volusia/Flagler Police Chiefs Association - 2010 Vice President

Volusia County Substance Abuse Policy Advisory Board

Florida Emergency Preparedness Association

Holly Hill K-8 School Advisory Committee

Staff Liasion (Police) City of Holly Hill Green Task Force 2012

Center for the Visually Impaired - 2012 Dining in the Dark Committee

 

Chief Mark D. Barker
Holly Hill Police Department
1065 Ridgewood Avenue
Holly Hill, Florida 32117

(386) 248-9491

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