Art Forgey serves as the Public Information Officer for the Gainesville Police Department, joining the agency in 2025. He brings extensive law enforcement experience, having previously served as a Deputy Sheriff with the Christian County Sheriff's Department and as a Police Officer with the Ozark Police Department, both in Missouri. Prior to his current role, Art dedicated more than 21 years of service to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, where he gained broad experience in public safety and community engagement.   

The Public Information Officer (PIO) and serves as the official spokesperson for the Police Department. The PIO handles all requests for information from both the media and the public. The following is a list of some duties that the PIO is responsible for:

• Handles the daily requests from the media about events concerning the Gainesville Police Department and incidents being investigated.
• Conducts the majority of television, radio and print interviews regarding Gainesville Police Department issues, policies and incidents.
• Serves as a liaison and refers members of the media to appropriate members of the agency for other interview requests.
• Provides community and day care notification of sexual predators who reside the City of Gainesville.
• Responds to major crime scenes to handle media requests and manage media access to those scenes.
• Assists and coordinates all press conferences initiated by the Department.
• Manages the Department's Social Media (Facebook / Twitter) and manages the website.
• Provides still photography and videography services for some agency events.
• Serves as the Gainesville Police Department representative to Crime Stoppers.

The PIO function at the Gainesville Police Department is an ever changing position with the main goal of promoting the positive image of the Gainesville Police Department to the citizens of Gainesville.