Michael Reiter (police Officer)
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Michael Reiter is an American security advisor who was
chief of police A chief of police (COP) is the title given to an appointed official or an elected one in the command hierarchy, chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. A chief of police may also be known as a police chief or somet ...
of Palm Beach,
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, from 2001 to 2009. Having served in the Palm Beach Police Department since 1981, he has been involved in several high-profile criminal investigations in the affluent town with several nationally-prominent residents, including the overdose death of David Kennedy and the criminal investigation into
Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Edward Epstein ( , ; January 20, 1953August 10, 2019) was an American financier and child sex offender. Born and raised in New York City, Epstein began his professional career as a teacher at the Dalton School, despite lacking a col ...
. Reiter came to international attention from the mid-2000s when he initiated the first inquiry into Epstein, an investor who was accused of involvement in multinational child
sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Se ...
and having sex with a minor, and was later convicted for
soliciting Solicitation is the act of offering, or attempting to purchase, goods and/or services. Legal status may be specific to the time or place where it occurs. The crime of "solicitation to commit a crime" occurs when a person encourages, "solicits, r ...
an underage girl for prostitution.


Early life

Reiter was born and grew up in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. While serving as a police officer, he earned several college degrees and certifications in law enforcement and public safety. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in
criminal justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...
from
Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...
. He later earned a master's degree in
human resource development Training and development involves improving the effectiveness of organizations and the individuals and teams within them. Training may be viewed as being related to immediate changes in effectiveness via organized instruction, while development ...
from
Palm Beach Atlantic University Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) is a private nondenominational Christian university in West Palm Beach, Florida. PBA's nine colleges focus on the liberal arts with a select collection of professional studies. In 2024, PBA's undergraduat ...
in 1996. Reiter also graduated from the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program and the Crisis Management Program at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
's
John F. Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...
. Reiter is also a graduate of the
FBI National Academy The FBI National Academy is a program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Academy for active U.S. law enforcement personnel and also for international law enforcement personnel who seek to enhance their credentials in their field and to ...
and the U.S. Secret Service's Dignitary Protection Program.


Police officer and detective

Before joining the police department in the Town of Palm Beach,
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, Reiter served as a campus police officer in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. In 1981, at 22 years old, he moved to Palm Beach and joined the Palm Beach Police Department (PBPD) as a patrol officer and later became a detective investigating
organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...
,
substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...
, and
vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
. In 1984, one of his first cases as a detective was investigating the source of illegal drugs after the death of David Kennedy. Reiter was the lead investigator on the highly publicized case involving the third son of
Ethel Ethel (also '' æthel'') is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name. Etymology and historic usage The word means ''æthel'' "noble". It is frequently attested as the first element in Anglo-Saxon names, ...
and
Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New Yo ...
. For two years, he investigated the cocaine suppliers that provided the illegal drugs that led to Kennedy's overdose death. Even a decade later, Reiter continued to get tips from supposed informants who claimed to have new information on the case. Reiter was promoted to sergeant in 1985. By 1989, he was head of the Organized Crime, Vice, and Narcotics Unit. He continued to rise through the ranks to captain in 1992, and major in 1993, before serving as assistant chief for three years beginning in 1998. During this period, Reiter led the investigation of several cases including the serial jewel burglar Alvara Valdez who was convicted after committing dozens of residential burglaries in Florida with losses in the millions of dollars. Reiter also developed a criminal investigation curriculum for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center located in Georgia.


Police chief

Reiter was appointed as chief of the police department in March 2001. He described his management philosophy as "principle-centered leadership" and advocated for programs such as the Citizen Police Academy and the Teen Police Academy. As police chief, he also encouraged programs such as Volunteers in Police Service and Palm Beach Crime Watch. At the same time, he served as vice-chairman of the
Palm Beach County Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and Broward County and the 24th-most populous in the United States, wi ...
Anti-Terrorism Committee in 2003 and chairman of the committee in 2004. In November 2004, he also served as chairman of the Palm Beach County Election Security Task Force. In 2004, Reiter initiated the first inquiry into
Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Edward Epstein ( , ; January 20, 1953August 10, 2019) was an American financier and child sex offender. Born and raised in New York City, Epstein began his professional career as a teacher at the Dalton School, despite lacking a col ...
and his involvement in human trafficking. Prior to the investigation, Epstein had made donations to the PBPD for the purchase of additional equipment needed to investigate a crime in which Epstein was the victim. However, Reiter grew suspicious of the billionaire after his officers received reports of suspicious activity around Epstein's home—such as young women entering and exiting the home at odd hours and loitering on the block. Reiter instituted 24-hour surveillance of Epstein's property, and his officers were able to obtain from Epstein's trash a note pad containing the names of possible victims. During a several-months-long investigation, the department gathered testimony from five victims and 17 witnesses. Reiter requested that Epstein be charged with at least four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor with girls as young as 14 years old. The chief also returned the recent donations to PBPD back to Epstein. The Palm Beach County State Attorney, Barry Krischer, according to Reiter initially indicated he was supportive of bringing charges against Epstein. However, after meeting with Epstein's attorneys, Krischer took "the unusual step of preparing to present the case to a grand jury", according to a 2020 report on the case by the
Office of Professional Responsibility The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), part of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and supervised by the FBI, is responsible for investigating lawyers employed by the Department of Justice who have been accused of miscondu ...
of the
Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
. After turning the evidence over to prosecutors, Reiter was "outraged" to learn that the State Attorney's office had offered Epstein a plea agreement. On May 1, 2006, Reiter submitted to Krischer probable cause affidavits and requested an arrest warrant be issued for Epstein's arrest. Reiter included a letter to Krischer, "all but demanding that rischerrecuse himself from the case." Reiter believed that Krischer was being pressured by Epstein's attorneys to lessen the charges. Epstein had also hired private investigators to follow Chief Reiter and the lead detective on the case. Reiter was also pressured by some residents of Palm Beach to ease up on his investigation into Epstein. At a
grand jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...
hearing in July 2006, state prosecutors obtained an indictment of one count of felony solicitation of prostitution. Again dissatisfied by the outcome, Reiter contacted the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
and the federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Florida,
Alexander Acosta Rene Alexander Acosta (born January 16, 1969) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 27th United States Secretary of Labor from 2017 to 2019. President Donald Trump nominated Acosta to be Labor Secretary on , and he was confir ...
. Reiter also sent letters to the each of victim's parents explaining that he believed justice had not been served. Epstein, under threat of federal prosecution, agreed to plead guilty to the state charge of
soliciting Solicitation is the act of offering, or attempting to purchase, goods and/or services. Legal status may be specific to the time or place where it occurs. The crime of "solicitation to commit a crime" occurs when a person encourages, "solicits, r ...
an underage girl for prostitution, served a 13-month jail sentence, and was registered as a sex offender. On January 23, 2009, Reiter announced his retirement from the Palm Beach Police Department, effective February 27, after 28 years with the department and the last eight years as the police chief.


Late career and public profile

Following his retirement from the department, Reiter founded Michael Reiter and Associates, a Palm Beach-based firm that provides private security,
crisis management Crisis management is the process by which an organization deals with a disruptive and unexpected event that threatens to harm the organization or its stakeholders. The study of crisis management originated with large-scale industrial and envi ...
, and investigative services. Reiter is also one of the directors of the Palm Beach Civic Association and a member of the Leadership Council of the National Law Enforcement Museum in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
When the Epstein case became common knowledge in the late 2010s, several publications, including ''
Irish Examiner The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Republic of Ireland, Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork (city), Cork, though it is ...
'', ''
Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Broward County, an ...
'', ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'', '' Vanity Fair'', described Reiter as one of the few heroes of the Epstein case. Epstein was arrested again on July 6, 2019, on federal charges for the
sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Se ...
of minors in Florida and New York. Epstein died in his jail cell on August 10, 2019. In September 2019, Reiter, along with several of Epstein's victims, was interviewed by
Savannah Guthrie Savannah Clark Guthrie (born December 27, 1971) is an Australian-born American broadcast journalist and former attorney. She is a main co-anchor of the NBC News morning show '' Today'', a position she has held since July 2012. Guthrie joined ...
on NBC's ''
Dateline A dateline is a brief piece of text included in news articles that describes where and when the story was written or filed, though the date is often omitted. In the case of articles reprinted from wire services, the distributing organization is ...
'' on which he advocated for laws preventing minors from being labeled as prostitutes in courts. He appeared in all four episodes of the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
's May 2020 documentary series '' Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich'', which in part details how the PBPD surveilled Epstein. Reiter appeared in the ABC documentary ''Truth and Lies: The Jeffrey Epstein Story''. He also appears in the first episode of an
ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...
podcast, ''Truth and Lies: Jeffrey Epstein'', published in July 2020 which also details Epstein's crimes and the investigation into the case.


Personal life

Reiter is married to Janet Pleasants, and they continue to live in Palm Beach. He is a historian with a particular interest in early Palm Beach history. Reiter acts as Palm Beach's unofficial town historian, and he was the initial organizer of the town's centennial celebration in 2011. In 1996, with the help of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, Reiter rediscovered the first two and, as of 2006, the only PBPD officers to die in the line of duty: Joseph Smith (d. 1923) and John Cash (d. 1926). In May 2006, the officers were commemorated with an inscribed plaque in Memorial Fountain Park. In June 1999, he also rediscovered the lost story of a West Palm Beach Police (WPBP) officer, William Morgan Payton, who was killed while on duty. While researching the unrelated deaths in his own police department's early history, Reiter discovered a press clipping about the 1924 trial on Payton's death and alerted the WPBP. Payton was later recognized as the first West Palm Beach Police officer killed in the line of duty.


Bibliography

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References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reiter, Michael Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American municipal police chiefs Law enforcement officials from Florida FBI National Academy graduates