Harrington Brings Years of Experience to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office

Jeffrey Harrington was hired by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office before the Land O’ Lakes Jail opened, and he was posted as one of its earliest corrections officers in 1991.

In October 1992, he left to start working at the New Port Richey Police Department, where he’s racked up more than 18 years of experience.

Now, he’s readying for a return to a job at the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Chris Nocco announced Tuesday that he had appointed Harrington to head up the agency’s Patrol Operations Bureau, which oversees road patrol. Harrington says his last day at the department is Oct. 15, and he starts the new job Oct. 17.

“It was the right time,” Harrington said. “It was the right position. And it was the right circumstance.”

His salary rises from $77,500 to $108,062 with the new job, where he takes the title of major. He succeeds Maj. Maurice Radford, who retired lin September.

 City Manager John Schneiger named Lt. James Steffens, who joined the police department in May, as acting chief Tuesday.

Harrington, who lives in Spring Hill, started his law enforcement carreer at Old Colony Correctional Center in Mass.,his home state, then came to Pasco and worked in the county corrections job.

He took the job at the New Port Richey police department because he always wanted to be a police officer and always wanted to be on the road, he said.

Harrington’s long career at the department included roles as a patrol officer  detective and lieutenant. It was interrupted by a brief period at the Clearwater Police Department in 1997, according to the St. Petersburg Times, after which he returned to the New Port Richey police department. Harrington has been police chief since Aug. 4, 2010, after three months as interim chief. He succeeded chief Martin Rickus.

“The career has come full circle,” he said.

Harrington and Nocco, both former college football players, have talked over the years. When Radford retired, Harrington said, the conversation turned to offering Harrington the job.  

"Jeff is a leader and an innovator, he has a servant heart, and he will play a key role in helping our agency transition to intelligence-led policing," Nocco said in a press release.

Intelligence-Led Policing is a broad strategy which emphasizes resource sharing among law enforcement agencies and concentrating staff and tools on  the worst offenders.

“I firmly believe the Sheriff has great vision,” Harrington said.

Harrington hired Steffens in May and gave him a strong recommendation to serve as head of the police department. Schneiger said he’s made no decisions about filling Harrington’s position, other than naming the acting chief.

Of Harrington, Schneiger said: “He’s, in my opinion, been an outstanding chief.”

, rising to the rank of lieutenant in charge of operations. Steffens said he would like to remain as chief.

Steffens' currently earns $68,000 annually.

Some of the most recent changes Harrington has been working to institute or overseen at the department include: