West Palm Beach Police Chief Nominated for PERF Leadership Award

Published on May 27, 2026

West Palm Beach Police Chief Araujo Nominated for PERF Leadership Award

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (May 27, 2026) — The West Palm Beach Police Department is proud to announce that West Palm Beach Police Chief Antonio "Tony" Araujo Jr. has been nominated for the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Leadership Award.

Araujo began serving as interim chief of the West Palm Beach Police Department on Oct. 1, 2024. Five months later, he was confirmed by the West Palm Beach City Commission as the department's permanent police chief.

With more than four decades in law enforcement, Araujo's leadership has been defined by mentorship, integrity, and a commitment to principled decision-making. He is widely recognized for guiding agencies through complex challenges, strengthening accountability systems, and advancing best practices in policing.

Since taking command, Araujo has led a department-wide focus on service delivery and organizational excellence. He established four core values: timely, credible, value-driven, and professional service, which now guide all interactions between the department and the community.

“On behalf of the command staff, we recognize Chief Araujo’s nomination for the PERF Leadership Award as a significant honor for both him and this department,” said West Palm Beach Police Department Deputy Chief Tony Shearer. “While he was not selected for the final award, the nomination itself reflects the respect he has earned across the profession and the standard of leadership he continues to set in West Palm Beach. Chief Araujo leads with purpose, accountability, and professionalism, consistently reinforcing the expectations of this organization. Under his direction, we remain focused on improving operations and delivering consistent, high-quality service to our community.”

The Leadership Award, PERF’s highest honor, has been presented annually since 1984. It recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to law enforcement and exemplify the highest standards of leadership in policing, as well as innovators whose work advances professionalism and improves the delivery of police services on a broad scale.

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) is a national membership organization based in Washington, D.C., composed of law enforcement executives from major city, county, and state agencies. PERF works to advance policing practices and promote professionalism through research, policy development, and public safety engagement. For more information, visit www.policeforum.org

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Rachel Leitão

Public Information Officer

pdpio@wpb.org