Florida Leadership: DeSantis Confirms Pasco Sheriff
Jeff Harrington moves from interim to permanent sheriff one day after filling the vacancy left by Chris Nocco's election to the state senate.
By Malik Salazar ·
Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Jeff Harrington as the permanent sheriff of Pasco County on Wednesday, finalizing a leadership transition that began the previous day.
The appointment follows the resignation of former Sheriff Chris Nocco, who stepped down from the agency on the eve of the election to campaign for a seat in the District 21 State Senate. Nocco had led the Pasco Sheriff's Office for 15 years before his departure. Following Nocco's exit, the chief judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit named Harrington as interim sheriff on Tuesday. Before assuming that temporary role, Harrington served as Nocco's chief of staff.
Harrington joins the department with more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. According to officials, he spent 14 of those years working directly within the Pasco Sheriff's Office. The governor's action on Wednesday made the interim arrangement permanent, cementing Harrington's position at the head of the agency.
The new sheriff is scheduled to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. on Thursday. This briefing will be his first public address as the permanent head of the department, where he will outline plans for the agency and address the local community.
