Gov. DeSantis appoints Jeff Harrington as permanent Pasco sheriff
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Jeff Harrington as the permanent sheriff of Pasco County on Wednesday, elevating the veteran law enforcement leader just one day after he took over the post in an interim capacity.
The appointment cements leadership at the Pasco Sheriff's Office after former Sheriff Chris Nocco stepped down from the agency he led for 15 years.
New Pasco sheriff leadership
The backstory:
The leadership change began when former Sheriff Chris Nocco officially resigned on the eve of Election Day as he ran for the District 21 State Senate seat. Nocco won that race following 15 years of leading the Pasco Sheriff's Office.
Following Nocco's resignation, the chief judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit appointed Harrington as interim sheriff on Tuesday. Harrington previously served as Nocco's chief of staff before the judicial appointment took effect.
Law enforcement career history
By the numbers:
Harrington brings a law enforcement background spanning more than 30 years into the permanent sheriff role, according to officials. That career includes 14 years of service directly within the Pasco Sheriff's Office.
DeSantis made the permanent appointment official on Wednesday, just one day after Harrington stepped into the interim leadership role.
New sheriff's first news conference
What's next:
Harrington is scheduled to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. on Thursday to address the community and outline plans for the agency. The briefing will mark his first public address since taking office as the permanent sheriff.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Pasco Sheriff's Office, which confirmed the permanent appointment and Harrington's career details.