Pasco Sheriff Bob White announced this morning that he is retiring, effective April 30, from the position he's held for three terms.
"This is a difficult decision, but I believe it is for the best," White wrote in a letter distributed to staff and the public and dated today.
He said in the two-page letter that he is retiring after 34 years in law enforcement to spend more time with his family, specifically his 18-month-old granddaughter.
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"My heart has been pulled away," White wrote. "I care deeply for all of you, but there is a little girl who needs her papa right now. Nothing says 'I love you' to a child more than time."
The sheriff had said he was going to run for a fourth term. Instead, Gov. Rick Scott will be left to appoint his replacement.
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"I am convinced that I can leave you in the most capable of hands," he wrote. ""Your command staff can stand with the best of them."
White spent the morning the decision to his staff. More details to come.
