HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. — The Town of Howey-in-the-Hills is searching for a new police chief after former Chief Michael Giddens resigned last month while under investigation.
Giddens submitted his resignation June 3 and Town Manager Sean O’Keefe provided Inside Lake with a copy of his resignation letter. The town has posted the police chief position and is accepting applications.
O’Keefe said the town’s investigation remains ongoing with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
In his resignation letter, Giddens wrote that his “private life is being targeted by anonymous individuals driven by personal and political agendas,” and after 32 years in law enforcement, he was ready to “focus on my family.”
He also wrote, “By stepping down now, I am acting to preserve the integrity of the office of the Chief and to ensure the department’s focus remains squarely on public safety and community trust.”
Giddens joined the Howey-in-the-Hills Police Department in August 2024 after retiring from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. According to the town, he brought more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, including service with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and FDLE, where he held supervisory and investigative assignments involving major drug investigations, public integrity, economic crimes and protective operations. He was promoted from lieutenant to police chief in October 2025.
John Batchelor is serving as interim police chief while the town searches for Giddens’ successor.
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