HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. — Howey-in-the-Hills Police Chief Michael Giddens has been placed on administrative leave, Inside Lake has learned.
Giddens was placed on administrative leave after Town Manager Sean O’Keefe received an email Monday that prompted an investigation, he told Inside Lake.
The contents of the email are part of the investigation and are not being released because the investigation is active, O’Keefe said.
Florida law limits the release of certain information related to active investigations.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating, while the town conducts its own investigation, O’Keefe said.
“There’s a lot yet to be determined,” O’Keefe said.
Giddens was hired as a lieutenant in August 2024 and appointed police chief in October 2025. Lt. John Batchelor is serving as acting chief while the investigation remains ongoing. Batchelor joined the department in December 2025.
