PBSO Detective Daniel Delia Loves Solving Crimes, Helping The Community
Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., Daniel Delia worked with the New York Police Department for more than 20 years before retiring and moving to Wellington in 2002. Like so many who head to South Florida after their first career, the retirement didn’t take. He soon continued his police career by joining the Palm Beach County School District Police Department for five years.
Delia had always worked street level when he was a part of the largest police force in the world in New York City. He loved the work, and he missed it. This led him to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, where he currently works as a detective, solving crimes.
“I joined the PBSO to get back into more traditional law enforcement work and was assigned to District 8 in Wellington in 2008, which is a dream to work where I live,” Delia said.
Now, at age 63, he is of typical retirement age. “Actually, I’ve been considering retiring for quite a while. We all consider doing some things in our life that we just never seem to get to,” said Delia, with a laugh. “I keep putting off retirement because it is difficult to stop doing something that you love, and I love going to work and experiencing the joy of having a positive impact on the citizenry by helping them out by solving a case. It is great to have the victim say, ‘thank you.’”
Delia said that successful resolutions come about because of great teamwork. “I work with great, like-minded, highly qualified people, who effectively involve themselves in other people’s lives with a positive outcome,” he said. “There is nothing as satisfying as that in my work.”
After working with some real heroes at the NYPD, he said that he has learned a lot from some great people.
“A good cop is a problem solver,” Delia explained. “When we get a call for services from someone and there’s somebody in crisis, I think the most satisfying part of my profession is to work with a great group of extremely qualified detectives to solve the problems that people have. We can’t be successful without teamwork… There is nothing that I have ever done by myself in police work. It is all due to teamwork.”
Impressed by his continued service to the community, the Wellington Public Safety Committee recently chose Delia for Wellington’s 2018 Top Cop Award.
“I am honored to receive this award, yet while one person is recognized, I work with a unit,” he said. “I work in the property theft unit with detectives Sue Reed, Bill McKenna and David Murray, and I’m supervised by Sgt. Mike Kennedy and our Lt. Eli Shaivitz. I appreciate that I can access up the chain of command when needed.”
Shaivitz described Delia as being a well-qualified officer, having been employed by the PBSO in District 8 for more than 10 years and having served on the detective bureau for approximately eight months. He noted that Delia is a juvenile expert and works with numerous districts in educating deputies on juvenile procedure and paperwork.
Shaivitz added that Delia has earned retirement when he is ready for it, having served in law enforcement for 38 years.
Perhaps one day, but not today, Delia explained.
“One of the biggest reasons I keep putting my retirement off is that I love working with positively motivated people and creating successful outcomes,” he said. “It would be a very difficult thing for me to stop doing.”
Married with two adult sons, Delia has worked in the road patrol, community policing and street crimes units and is presently assigned to the detective unit.
“I have tended to develop an expertise in juvenile work. I work with young people who are in crisis, sometimes not making the best choices,” Delia said. “I try very hard to make an impact on them and turn them back to the positive.”
Delia likes to instill a positive attitude in the people he comes into contact with, adding that he often learns something from them.
Delia is proud to have raised his family in Wellington. “My children went to school here,” he said. “I love Wellington. Having lived in a big city, I love the beauty of Wellington. That’s why I choose to live here, and I choose to work here. It is a great, responsive community, and it has a small-town atmosphere with big city services.”
He can’t see himself living anywhere else. “I love being part of the community,” Delia said. “Wellington gives you every opportunity to take part in the community.”
