Winter Haven Police Department
Working with the youth of our community is second nature to Officer Derrick Doles – even after retirement.
Derrick Doles starting with the Winter Haven Police Department as a dispatcher in 1989 moving to Police Officer in 1991. His 28 year career with the agency has been anything but typical. Officer Doles is an avid cyclist who has a huge heart for our youth.
He led the Department’s PAL Unit and made a huge impact on hundreds of kids’ lives. Doles was instrumental in partnering PAL with the Chain of Lakes Achievers, a Winter Haven Organization dedicated to guiding youth through their school studies and helping carve a path for success. He was the Vice President of the State PAL Board and is currently Sergeant at Arms.
During his career, Doles served on the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and was a School Resource Officer at Denison Middle School until retirement. Retired? In one sense of the word yes. He has remained a Reserve Officer with the Department and serves regularly at Winter Haven Christian School watching over the campus and continuing to mentor the youth he encounters.
