YULEE, Fla. -- Sheriff Bill Leeper is hard at work, transitioning in to his new job. "It's very challenging, but something I'm enjoying," he said.
First on his list, is reorganizing the department, reviewing its policies and procedures, making sure the Sheriff's Office is running effectively, efficiently, and transparently.
"We'll be very accessible. We'll be open. We don't have anything to hide," he said.
Next on his list, is keeping crime down by doing more with crime prevention programs. "We're fortunate here. We don't have the high crime problems that other areas, larger areas, do. But we see that there's a potential there, so we need to be proactive."
Statistics from the FDLE show crime in Nassau County has steadily declined since 2007. And as a Nassau County native, Sheriff Leeper wants to keep it that way. "This is my home. This is where I grew up. It's where I committed to make this law enforcement agency better and that's what we're going to do."
Sheriff Bill Leeper may be the new sheriff, but he's not new to law enforcement. He retired from the Florida Highway Patrol last year after 35 years of service.
Leeper replaces Tommy Seagraves, who was the focus of an FBI investigation into questionable business practices. Seagraves has never been charged in that case. But after two terms in office, he decided not to run again.
