Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, speaking in New Port Richey, Fla., announced he will step down in November after 15 years leading the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and said he plans to pursue another elected post. Nocco, appointed in 2011 by then-Gov. Rick Scott and later elected multiple times, framed his departure as a transition rather than an exit, promising continued day-to-day leadership through November while he readies a campaign. The move has stirred local interest because of his long service and high profile in the region.
Chris Nocco told the community he’s grateful and proud of the work done under his watch. “I can’t thank the community [enough]. We rallied together. We have been through great times together, we have been through tough times together. But the one thing is we’ve been together, and we’ve been successful,” Nocco said. That message underscored a career built on visible, public-facing leadership and community ties.
Nocco first took the helm of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office after an appointment in 2011 and then won the office at the ballot box in 2012, securing re-elections in 2016, 2020 and 2024. His tenure became defined by steady leadership through growth and challenges in Pasco County, and by an emphasis on boots-on-the-ground policing and agency modernization. His longevity in the role now sets the stage for a political pivot that many in local circles are watching closely.
His law enforcement résumé is broad and varied, starting with service inside the Pasco Sheriff’s Office as a captain and major and stretching to earlier posts with the Philadelphia Public School Police, the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Nocco was also among the first responders during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as well as the Washington, D.C.-area sniper attacks and anthrax incidents. Those experiences shaped his approach to preparedness and crisis response back home in Florida.
He spent time out of the patrol world working inside state government, serving in the Florida House of Representatives’ Policy and Procedure Office where he handled issues tied to domestic security, criminal justice, emergency management, economic development and transportation. Nocco later moved into a key staff role as deputy chief of staff to then-Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. Those ties to state government gave him both administrative perspective and political connections that have mattered in Pasco and beyond.
Under his leadership, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office rolled out a string of initiatives aimed at modern policing and partnership. The agency became the first law enforcement department in the Bay Area to adopt body-worn cameras. Nocco also helped develop Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactics (F1RST), a training center designed to bring together public safety agencies, academic institutions and private-sector partners.
The department expanded efforts to recruit and support veterans and earned recognition as a Patriotic Employer by the Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer unit was also named the 2022 School Resource Officer Unit of the Year by the Florida Association of School Resource Officers. Those program wins have been central to Nocco’s argument that his office has reformed and professionalized local policing while keeping communities safe.
Nocco said he will resign in November to pursue another office but has not yet revealed which position he will seek. “I promise you this. Until November, day in and day out, just like you have for the past 15 years, you’re gonna have my full commitment, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Out there running with the deputies, being right there with them – serving you, Nocco said. He also said he will share updates about his next steps on his personal social media accounts, leaving the timeline and target seat open for now.
