UPDATE: Boca Raton Police Name New Acting Chief As Nationwide Search Continues
BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — An internal union survey conducted months before Boca Raton Police Chief Michele Miuccio’s departure found she received low ratings from many of the officers who participated, with an overall average score of 3.8 out of 10.
The August 2025 survey was carried out by Boca Raton Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35, the collective bargaining unit representing officers, sergeants, and lieutenants. A total of 113 officers responded.
The results surfaced publicly after City Manager Mark Sohaney announced that Miuccio and two deputy city managers would be leaving their roles. Sohaney, who assumed the city manager position in late September, described the departures as part of a “strategic realignment” following a months-long review of the city’s leadership structure.
In the survey, Miuccio’s highest rating — a 5.0 — was for commitment to integrity and ethical conduct. Her lowest score, a 3.1, was tied to morale and the work environment under her leadership.
Officers also gave her a 3.4 in both communication and responsiveness to officer feedback, two areas that directly affect internal operations and day-to-day command structure within the department.
Additional categories evaluated included leadership, decision-making, support for officers, accountability, trust, and fairness and impartiality.
The survey was conducted independently by the union and was not commissioned by the City of Boca Raton.
City spokesperson Anne Marie Connolly said the results should not be viewed as a complete measure of sentiment across the department.
“Therefore, it should not be characterized as a full or definitive measure of the department-wide sentiment,” Connolly said in a written statement.
Connolly also reiterated that Miuccio’s departure was not disciplinary and was not based on any single factor, aligning with Sohaney’s earlier remarks.
The timing of the survey and the leadership change places the results in context, but city officials have framed the decision as part of a broader restructuring rather than a response to the survey itself.
Miuccio’s exit was announced alongside two deputy city managers, signaling a wider leadership shift under Sohaney’s administration rather than an isolated personnel decision within the police department.
For residents, police operations remain unchanged. The city has appointed Assistant Chief Liz Roberts as acting chief while a search for a permanent replacement is underway.
Connolly said the department will continue evaluating internal performance and culture while maintaining service continuity.
“Like any strong organization, the department will continue evaluating opportunities to improve and strengthen its internal culture and performance while ensuring police services continue without interruption,” she said.
The survey reflects the views of the officers who chose to participate and highlights concerns in areas such as morale, communication, and responsiveness. City officials, however, maintain that the leadership transition was part of a broader organizational review rather than tied to any single data point.
The next step is the selection of a permanent chief, a process that will shape the department’s direction as Boca Raton continues to manage changes at the top levels of city leadership.
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