Chris Nocco to be Pasco's New Top Cop

Chris Nocco has been appointed to finish out Bob White’s term as Pasco County Sheriff,  Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kevin Doll said Monday morning.  

Doll said the appointment by Gov. Rick Scott was released in an internal memo. Nocco starts the job Sunday, May 1, the day after White retires.

Nocco started at the sheriff’s office as captain of administration. When White reorganized his agency after the departure of Undersheriff Col. Al Nienhuis, Nocco was appointed to major and installed as head of the newly created Joint Operations Bureau. This bureau oversees the Criminal Investigations Division and the Agency Support Division.

Nocco, 35, came to the agency in 2009 after serving as chief of staff to the Florida Highway Patrol in Tallahassee.  Before that, he was chief of staff for Marco Rubio when he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives.  He has served in law enforcement in Broward County, Virginia and his home state of Pennsylvania, where his father also served in law enforcement

 White announced on March 16 that he was leaving office at the end of this month to spend more time with his granddaughter.  Rumors had circulated that White, who helped raise money for Scott during his campaign for governor, could be in line to win a state job. White has denied them.