FELLSMERE — Keith Touchberry figured he was just a man at the end of a leash when his K-9 partner Rocky was getting a lot of recognition for taking down drug dealers in the early 1990s.
While at the beach one day exercising his Dutch Malinois, a man flung open a window and called out: “Hey, is that the famous Rocky?”
“I said, ‘Why yes, yes it is,’” Touchberry recalls. “And I’m just a guy at the end of the leash.”
Fast forward about 20 years and that guy on the end of the leash got a standing ovation from a full crowd at Vero Beach’s City Hall last week when Touchberry was officially acknowledged for his 24 years of service in the Vero Beach Police Department.
Later this month, Touchberry will retire and on Sept. 25 he becomes the chief for the Fellsmere Police Department.
Touchberry was moved when Chief David Currey stirred memories of his dog-handling days while reading a proclamation highlighting moments in the career of the department’s second in command. Those highlights included recognition for saving lives.
Twice in his career, he pulled people from house fires.
Touchberry thanked Vero residents for their support, adding that his years in the city allowed him to prepare for his ultimate dream of running his own department.
The crowd then rose to its feet.
“I’m overwhelmed with emotion still,” said Touchberry the following day.
Touchberry has been openly interviewing for police chief positions since January. He and more than 150 people applied for the New Smyrna Beach chief’s job.
Shortly after that, Touchberry was one of two finalists out of 69 applicants at the city of Rockledge.
Touchberry said he sought advice from Vero Beach City Manager Jim O’Connor and Currey for his job search.
Not long ago, Touchberry’s old friend Scott Melanson, the Fellsmere police chief, told him of his desire to retire and pass the torch to Touchberry.
“My goal has always been to be a police chief,” said Touchberry.
With his appointment in Fellsmere, he won’t even have to relocate his family.
“We firmly believe that everything happens for a reason,” said Touchberry. “We feel this must have been the plan all along and of course the kids are ecstatic that they don’t have to move and leave their friends.”
Touchberry, his wife, Kim, and children, Austin, 18 and Lauren, 16, have lived in the Fellsmere area since 2002.
Melanson personally recommended Touchberry for the job when he told City Manager Jason Nunemaker he was retiring Sept. 25. Melanson said it was time for a change and he wanted to see the country while he still had time.
“I was a little surprised, but I can understand it. He’s been here about 20 years and that is demanding,” Nunemaker said.
Touchberry understands a demanding job as he has done most of them in the Vero department, moving up from K-9 handler to sergeant in charge of the detective division.
As one of two captains in the department, since 2009 Touchberry has been responsible for managing the department’s $6.8 million budget, the 911 operation center, accreditation matters and maintenance.
At the Vero City Hall last week, many people rushed to Touchberry to shake his hand, hug him and thank him for his service. Nunemaker said he was impressed to learn about the standing ovation.
Touchberry originally wanted a military career when at the age of 17 with his father’s help he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve.
After 1½ years, Touchberry said he wanted more and enlisted in the Marines.
He spent four years with the 7th Marines Regiment in California and then became an instructor at the infantry school.
In that role, he met police officers who were in the reserves and offered to take him along in their squad cars on their work.
“That’s when I got bit by the law enforcement bug,” said Touchberry.
Touchberry’s father, who at the time was living in Port St. Lucie, suggested he head east to Florida to pursue his new goal of becoming a police officer, and he was part of the 50th graduating class of the law enforcement academy and got hired by the Vero Beach Police Department in 1989.
“I’m looking forward to Keith coming on board,” Nunemaker said.
Touchberry, who earned $87,350 a year in Vero, will make $72,000 a year to oversee the small Fellsmere department that consists of nine officers, two support staff and a crossing guard.
Nunemaker said he expects the police department to expand as the city grows.
“We are anticipating a lot of growth and we want to have a police force to affectively deal with that,” he said. “The police are the ambassadors of a community and with the breadth of experience that Keith has, he’ll be a great ambassador.”
And apparently, no longer just a guy at the end of a leash.
