Retired Fellsmere Police Chief Touchberry points to public service as ‘key’

It’s been quite a journey for Keith M. Touchberry. 

He has gone from overseeing the rural streets of Fellsmere as police chief to managing the day-to-day operations for a city nestled next to the world famous Kennedy Space Center, America’s busiest spaceport.

 “(Cape Canaveral) was chartered in 1963 during the Space Race to put man on the moon. Many homes and apartments were built to support NASA workers back then,” Touchberry said.

“Even though it’s a young city, it has a long history with NASA,” said Touchberry, now working as city manager of Cape Canaveral, a thriving municipality that sits just south of the Kennedy Space Center and home to any number of space-related industries.

The journey is one that comes out of a determination he had as a teen, one that saw him serve in the military, a role that took him around the world before going into law enforcement and later city government in Indian River County. 

“I’m a public servant. That’s pretty much who I am,” said Touchberry, who joined the Marines in California and was deployed to Japan and South Korea during peace time. 

Touchberry started his new position on Aug. 4 as city manager for Cape Canaveral, a city of 10,000 residents located on the Space Coast about an hour north of Fellsmere. Touchberry said he looks forward to continuing his work as a public servant, meeting with residents and planning for the city’s future in this next role.

 “Cape Canaveral is a great city with a lot going on,” Touchberry said. “They have a vision of things they want to accomplish. I’ve read up on that vision. I see the challenges they are facing. I believe I can help them with those challenges as I continue to grow and evolve in municipal government.”

Learning Leadership

Touchberry credits his military service with instilling in him lessons on leadership and service that would prove to be long lasting. Now, the 61-year-old looks back on how the challenges molded him to eventually serve as a police captain for Vero Beach, and later becoming a police chief and assistant city manager for Fellsmere. 

“(I learned) the art and science behind leadership. Those are things that are really practiced, trained and educated in the marine corps,” said Touchberry, who transferred skills he learned in the military over to law enforcement. “Secondly, I learned teamwork and personal discipline. I learned those leadership traits and characteristics that I think every law enforcement officer should exude…integrity, duty, honor and justice.”   

Touchberry’s voice was calm and collected over the phone as he talked about his 36-year career working to ensure the safety of citizens. The law enforcement veteran retired on July 18 as police chief for the Fellsmere Police Department. 

“It’s a bittersweet experience,” Touchberry said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I worked with a lot of great people in two different police departments. I’m going to be sad to see that chapter of my life end. I have no regrets and am ready to move on and pursue this next phase of my career.”

Patrolling Historic Fellsmere 

When Touchberry became police chief of Fellsmere in 2013, he stumbled upon a historic, rural town with roots dating back to 1911. Fellsmere, which was originally part of St. Lucie County, was known for its sugar cane fields, rich soils and natural resources. 

Today, Fellsmere, which sits near the northern Indian River County border, has a little more than 5,000 residents with a mostly Hispanic population. 

While Fellsmere to some may be a small, under-resourced town, the community garners worldwide attention for its annual Frog Leg Festival. The event draws thousands of patrons each year. A treasured landmark in Fellsmere is Marsh Landing Restaurant, a Florida cuisine-style eatery owned by Fran Adams and her daughter, Indian River County Commissioner Susan Adams.

Commissioner Adams congratulated Touchberry on reaching retirement.

“Chief Touchberry was a big part of reshaping the Fellsmere Police Department from his community policing initiatives to his collaborations with the school district and Indian River State College,” Adams said. “He represented Fellsmere and its residents well. I wish him all the best in his retirement from law enforcement and all the luck in his future endeavors.”

Touchberry said when he first became police chief over the small town, there was a severe lack of trust in the police department. 

Touchberry worked to change the perceptions. He co-founded community groups, such as the Fellsmere Action Community Team (FACT), to help to bridge the gap between police and residents. He went into neighborhoods, talked with residents, with the community group giving away book bags and school supplies to families. The group also engages youth in neighborhood cleanups, recreational activities and mentorship sessions. Annie Mae Brown, president of FACT, said Touchberry helped to build bonds between residents and the police.

Brown, a lifelong Fellsmere resident and associate pastor of the historic, 113-year-old Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church on Lincoln Street, said Touchberry’s departure is a great loss for Fellsmere. 

“(Touchberry) is the best chief of police Fellsmere has ever had. He came in and addressed the needs of children. He interacted with the residents,” said Brown, who has lived in Fellsmere for 64 years. “Cape Canaveral has gained a great person.”

Food shortage

Aside from patrolling the rural roadways that cut through Fellsmere, Touchberry strived to ensure residents in the small town did not go hungry. 

Touchberry partnered with Sue Flak, recycling coordinator and marketing director for the Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal District, to help open the Fellsmere Community Fridge in February 2022. The Fridge, which is part of a community food-sharing initiative, is located next to Fellsmere City Hall at 21 South Cypress Street.

Flak said Touchberry has been the biggest supporter of that organization, which is run by volunteers and includes a food pantry.

“(Touchberry’s) support and collaboration helped bring the project to life, providing a safe, welcoming space where residents can both give and receive food. Thanks to his leadership and dedication to community well-being, the Fellsmere Fridge is now a valuable resource helping to fight food insecurity and strengthen the bonds between neighbors,” Flak said. 

“His dedication to others is unwavering. We will miss you Chief.”

In the classroom

After being honorably discharged from the Marines in 1989, Touchberry immediately started work as a police officer for Vero Beach. Some years later, Touchberry gained the rank of captain at the Vero Beach Police Department from 2005 to 2013. He was hired as the police chief for Fellsmere later that year. 

Touchberry also served as assistant city manager for Fellsmere from October 2022 to December 2024. In this role, Touchberry said he helped oversee programs within the city, worked with other department heads on projects and participated in planning development, amongst other things.  

Touchberry’s impact was not only felt throughout the streets of Fellsmere, but also extended to classrooms in Indian River County. Touchberry has taught several criminal justice classes at a variety of universities, including Indian River State College and Florida Institute of Technology. 

The retired chief said one of his biggest accomplishments was helping to create a program called Future Educators Response to Emergency Situations (FERTES) following the Feb. 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Touchberry helped launch the program at Indian River State College thanks to a variety of partnerships including the school districts of Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee counties. 

Legacy

Touchberry’s decades-spanning career continues to draw accolades as others point to his resume as indicative of his role as a public servant. That journey to his new position is packed with roles at a number of other agencies and organizations.

Touchberry also ran twice for the position of sheriff for Indian River County, but ultimately was not chosen.

Even with all of the accomplishments, Touchberry said he still finds time for family, his love of reading, exploring the outdoors and target practicing. 

Touchberry has received several recognitions. In 2021, he was presented with the Outstanding Leadership Award from Indian River State College and the Hunger Hero Award from Treasure Coast Food Bank.

Most importantly, residents said outside of the career touchstones, Touchberry is simply “one great man.”

“I hope his family finds joy, peace and happiness. I wish him well in anything that his hands and feet touch,” Brown said. “He’s truly missed.”