BARTOW, FL – The Bartow Police Department has promoted Ken Fender to the rank of captain following a ceremony held Monday, October 5, according to the City of Bartow.
Fender, a lifelong resident of Plant City, brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience to his new position. He graduated from Plant City High School in 1991 and completed his training at Hillsborough Community College Police Academy in 1994.
According to the city, Fender began his law enforcement career with the Plant City Police Department in February 1995. He joined the department’s Honor Guard in 1997 and remained a member until 2006, when he transferred to the Tampa Police Department, serving there until 2009.
Fender joined the Bartow Police Department in 2017 and became a member of its Honor Guard that same year.
In 2018, he transferred to the department’s Detective Bureau, where he served as an internal affairs investigator, homicide investigator and traffic homicide investigator.
According to the city, Fender also earned certification as a general instructor and became a high-liability instructor, providing training in firearms, Tasers, oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray, less-lethal weapons and driving. Fender was promoted to sergeant in 2021 and currently supervises the department’s Honor Guard.
Throughout his career, Fender has completed additional professional development courses, including Line Supervision, Middle Management, the National Innovative Academy and training through the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA).
His latest promotion marks another milestone in a law enforcement career spanning more than three decades across three Tampa Bay-area police departments.
SOURCE: CITY OF BARTOW
