Brandon Hatzel is the Public Information Officer for the Gainesville Police Department. Brandon was hired by the Gainesville Police Department in November of 2023. Brandon graduated from Florida Institute of Technology in 2017 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Communication and also commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Florida Army National Guard. Brandon has law enforcement experience, serving as a Deputy Sheriff with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and a Police Officer with the Cocoa Beach Police Department. His awards include the "SGT. Woody Braswell Heroism Award" and numerous merit based awards for his military service.   

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.