Michael Reiter is an American security advisor who previously served as chief of police of Palm Beach, Florida, 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. Reiter came to international attention since the mid-2000s when he initiated the first inquiry into Epstein, an investor who was accused of involvement in multinational child sex trafficking and having sex with a minor, and was later convicted for soliciting an underage girl for prostitution.
Early life and education
Reiter was born and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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 from Florida Atlantic University. He later earned a master's degree in human resource development from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 1996. Reiter also graduated from the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program and the Crisis Management Program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Reiter is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy 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, Reiter served as a campus police officer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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, substance abuse, and vice.
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 and Robert F. Kennedy. 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 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.