Veteran officers join Ocoee PD

The two new deputy chiefs hired by the Ocoee Police Department bring 72 combined years of police experience to the agency.

Vincent Ogburn Sr. has worked with the Florida Highway Patrol and Orlando Police Department, and he served six years with the U.S. Navy.

Chris McKinstry has experience with police departments in New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as several sheriff’s offices in Florida.

The deputy chief’s roles have been divided between the two men — McKinstry is in charge of criminal investigations and community events, and Ogburn handles the department’s patrol operations.

VINCE OGBURN SR.

Ogburn retired from the deputy chief position at Orlando Police Department to accept the role in Ocoee. One of his duties is to oversee the officers who patrol the city streets.

The Brooklyn, N.Y., native comes from a military family, although one brother did become a law-enforcement officer. After high school, Ogburn joined the U.S. Navy, where he spent six years as a hospital corpsman.

“I didn’t even think of being a law-enforcement officer,” Ogburn said. “I was working in a hospital and was looking to go the medical route. One day, I just thought about being a state trooper. I pushed (the idea) off, it came back, so I became a state trooper.”

He spent the first five years of his law-enforcement career with the Florida Highway Patrol, assigned to Orange and Osceola counties.

In 1996, Ogburn began a 24-year-career with the Orlando Police Department, working in several divisions and in a variety of capacities, including as an officer for mounted patrol, motorcycle and marine patrol. He rose steadily through the department ranks, and in 2015, he was selected as the staff director for former Chief John Mina. He performed many administrative duties for Mina in times of crisis, including the Pulse nightclub tragedy. His primary duties were to make sure the chief had everything he needed throughout the day.

In 2019, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer appointed Ogburn to the rank of deputy chief. He retired earlier this year and accepted the position in Ocoee.

Ogburn said he strives to be a positive role model in the community and is eager to make a difference in the lives of the residents and business men and women he protects.

“I think the citizens and the police department work well together as part of their model, Chief (Charles) Brown’s model of being engaged with the community and being responsive,” he said.

Ogburn and his wife, Francina, live in Winter Garden and have two sons and one daughter.

CHRIS McKINSTRY

McKinstry’s interest in law enforcement began when he was 13.

“My mother bought me a police hat, as a gift, and that kind of sparked an interest in police work, and that’s all I’ve ever done,” he said.

The New York City native started his 43-year law-enforcement career with the New York City Police Department. His experience led him to positions with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., and the City of Key West Police Department.

McKinstry served for 23 years in various capacities within the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, including command, supervisory, patrol, community affairs and narcotics. In his last assignment with the BSO, he served as chief of police for two municipalities, the town of Pembroke Park and the city of West Park. After retiring from the sheriff’s office, he was appointed as an assistant to Pembroke Park’s town manager.

McKinstry was police chief of Lady Lake for seven years before taking a position with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. His desire to relocate to Central Florida and to have a job with fewer pressures led him to the position with Ocoee.

“They have a pretty good machine here,” McKinstry said of the way Ocoee’s police department is run.

He also was familiar with some of the Ocoee officers, having worked with them in South Florida; and he knew Chief Brown. His work with other agencies has given him access to other equipment and successful programs that he might present to the Ocoee chief at some point for consideration.

“One of the things I like to bring with me as a boss (is) I want (employees) to enjoy coming to work,” McKinstry said. “We all have our tough times, but, in general, it shouldn’t be adversarial.”

McKinstry and his wife live in Sumter County, and they have a 16-year-old son.