HOLLY HILL, Fla. — Holly Hill Police Chief Byron Williams is doing what he can to keep good momentum moving into 2025. 

He’s reflecting on the nearly six months he’s been at the helm.

It’s a position he’s held since July 7, after former Police Chief Jeff Miller, Captain Chris Yates and Sergeant Shannon Fountain resigned following sexual misconduct allegations at the department. 

In October, a grand jury declined to file charges in the case.

Since starting the position in July, Williams has been focusing on a number of things such as building relationships with his fellow officers and starting a K-9 program. 

Public service is important to him, and he can’t wait to see what next year brings. 

“I feel absolutely wonderful. I was provided this great opportunity to work here in the city of Holly Hill with the police department. It’s a dream come true,” Williams said. 

Williams made it a priority to meet with officers and staff in his first 30 days to discuss what needed to be done to help shape the department for the future. 

“I wanted to make sure I sat down with them. They got to know me, I got to know them," Williams said. "We got to hear the concerns they had there with the agency at the time. We got to hear some recommendations for making things better and some of those things we have implemented.”

A recent initiative that he said came from this approach is the department’s K-9 program.

“I had an officer that presented the idea, the proposal, and we reviewed the proposal of the K-9 program. We thought it was sound, it was fit, and it was the right time to implement it,” Williams said. 

He said that he is trying to make the most out of the officer’s time on the job.

“We issued new taser sevens, we were able to get new equipment and software for our criminal investigations division, we starting to institute new training now, face-to-face training into the agency,” Williams said.

His message to the community, he’s in this for the long haul.

“We’re re-striping and rebranding our vehicles and things of that nature. It just shows the community and the agency itself we are going in a different direction. We are looking to do things greater and more effective,” Williams said.

He’s writing a new chapter for the department; one he hopes that will continue to get support. 

“I felt that I had a purpose to do this. I was destined to do this job,” Williams said.   

He said sometime next year drones will be delivered to the department with the goal of being used to find suspects and missing children in the area.