HOLLY HILL, Fla. — There’s a new chief in town.
Holly Hill city leaders have announced Daytona Beach Police Capt. Byron Williams has been chosen to be the city’s next chief of police.
Last week, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office completed their investigation involving “inappropriate incidents” regarding personnel at the Holly Hill Police Department. In March, Police Chief Jeff Miller resigned, and in May, so did Capt. Chris Yates. Two sergeants, Tom Bentley and Shannon Fountain, were also suspended with pay.
Now that the investigation’s findings were turned over to Holly Hill City Manager Joseph Forte, it’s up to him to decide on any further disciplinary action. Forte said action could be announced in the coming days.
In the interim, a panel of local police chiefs and Forte selected Daytona Beach Police Capt. Byron Williams as the next chief of the Holly Hill Police Department. Forte said of all the candidates, Williams “emerged as the standout candidate, receiving unanimous approval from the interview panel.”
Williams has been with the Daytona Beach Police Department since 1999. He comes from a first responder family and said his two brothers-in-law inspired his career.
“It’s always been in our blood to be in public service and helping others,” he said. “It was always in my blood and I always wanted to do something to help people.”
Williams said that when he started as a traffic control officer, he could have never imagined becoming a police chief one day.
“Transition from a traffic control officer now to a chief of police,” he said. “I would have never in a million years ever thought about that.”
With 25 years of experience at the Daytona Beach Police Department, he’s held many roles. He’s currently the captain of the Criminal Investigations Unit and also serves as the city’s Emergency Operations Manager.
This time next month, he’ll be leading the Holly Hill Police Department.
“I’m very excited and ready to meet the officers — great officers that I’m hearing that are there,” Williams said. “The idea of being able to now take this agency, this organization, to a new level. I’m just so excited about it right now.”
Williams said he has several ideas he wants to implement, but his first order of action is to meet and have a conversation with each officer at the department.
“I need to make that connection,” he said. “I need to be able to sit down and speak with each and every one of them, which I plan to do, just so they can get to know me and I can get to know them and find out what’s going on. What do they need? What can I do to help? I’m here to make things better. That’s my philosophy right now. I want to make things better.”
To the residents of Holly Hill, Williams said this:
“I want them to know that I am a man of integrity. I am a man of accountability. I am a man of transparency. These are some of the things that I want to bring to the table, to the city of Holly Hill, to the residents of Holly Hill.”
Amid the recent investigation into the police department's workplace environment, Williams said he wants to make sure he creates a nurturing place for officers.
“I think the first thing I want to do is make sure that they feel safe and they begin to heal from this incident that transpired over the last couple of months,” he said. “I know this was something traumatic for them, and I want them to know that I’m coming in as someone that they can believe in, they can trust, and they can get behind as I lead this organization.”
Williams is set to be sworn in as the chief of police next month. He will take office on July 15.
Reagan Ryan is a 2023 — 2025 Report for America Corps Member, covering the environment and climate across Central Florida for Spectrum News 13. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.