Longboat Key Police Dept. adds another fresh face before peak season

Locals returning for the season might notice another new face that joined the Longboat Key Police Department this summer. 

Officer Michael Mathis was sworn in on Sept. 18, making him the fourth full-time officer to join the department since June. 

Mathis and his family moved from Senoia, Georgia. Senoia was once a quiet, small town, until the popular television series “The Walking Dead” made the town its prime filming location — nevertheless, he said it was interesting to see how the filming brought a lot of fun into the community. 

A couple years ago, Mathis and his family found Siesta Key on a vacation, and shortly after set a goal to move down to the area. 

Mathis has a close friend at the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, who encouraged Mathis to look into Longboat Key. Longboat Key Captain Robert Bourque talked to Mathis on the phone, and Mathis jumped at the opportunity to join the department. 

“Basically everything fell into place,” Mathis said. 

The day of his swearing in, Sept. 18, happened to also be his daughter’s birthday. His whole family was able to attend the swearing in ceremony, making it “absolutely a special moment.” 

In a short period of time, Mathis said he and his family have already felt the impact of a small community. 

“We're totally blown away with how welcoming everybody is, how nice they are, how supportive they are of law enforcement,” Mathis said.

Originally from Moreland, Georgia, which has a population of about 400, Mathis is no stranger to a tight-knit community feel. 

Nor is he a stranger to law enforcement. 

Mathis started his law enforcement career in LaGrange, Georgia, in 2005. After a year there, he moved to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office where he spent the next 17 years.

With the department, Mathis worked his way from basic patrol and traffic management to working with the undercover narcotics unit and the sex-trafficking unit. 

Mathis said he was inspired by his mother, who had a long career in law enforcement, and a lifelong interest in helping people. One of the most rewarding things about the job is seeing people be successful and prosper after dealing with a bad situation, he said. 

Outside work, Mathis’ life consists of a lot of gymnastics, cheerleading and softball — for his three daughters.

But he also enjoys fishing and taking the whole family to the beach. 

Mathis is looking forward to getting to know the community, and hopes people can recognize him on a first name basis. 

“We like being involved with the community, basically getting to know the people that I will be working with and the community that I'll be serving,” Mathis said. “I think that is definitely something I'm looking forward to.”