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Bio Chet Price

Chet currently serves as the Executive I Safety and Security Manager for the Jacksonville Public Library system, which includes 21 branch libraries and the largest Main Library in the state of Florida. In this role, he oversees all safety and security operations, managing a large, contracted security officer workforce and sworn police officers assigned to library 11 of his 21 facilities. He directs safety and security capital improvement and security initiatives exceeding $3 million and leads a fully operational Security Operations Center that monitors 381 cameras across all library locations in real time.

Chet is a retired 33-year law enforcement veteran of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. During his career, he served in patrol, community relations, and advanced through the ranks to Master Detective in the Criminal Investigations Unit. He spent 24 years assigned to specialized investigative units, including Burglary, Vice, Narcotics, the Metro Drug Task Force, and Missing Persons. His professional experience includes providing testimony in state and federal courts, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and presenting testimony before both the Indiana House and Senate.

He is a state-certified law enforcement instructor and a graduate of the Leadership Academy and the DEA Investigators School. He also holds more than 40 FEMA certifications. Additionally, Chet served as a team leader for the Hostage Negotiations Unit, conducting over 400 negotiations, and supervised security operations for large-scale special events and conventions with attendance ranging from 15,000 to 100,000 participants.

Chet is the past president of the Indiana Hostage Crisis Negotiators Association and a three-term past chair of the North Florida Chapter of ASIS International. He currently serves on the ASIS International Cultural Properties Steering Committee and as subcommittee co-chair for libraries.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Franklin University and dual Master’s degrees in Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

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