Groveland Selects Sammy Anderson as Chief After Police Department Review
Department workload, service responsibilities and resident contacts under Groveland’s newly selected chief.
THE LCN BREAKDOWN
WHAT HAPPENED
Groveland selected Sammy Anderson as police chief and made Kevin Carroll permanent public safety director.
WHY IT MATTERS
Employee interviews favored an internal selection; Anderson brings 23 years of law enforcement experience.
WHO IT AFFECTS
The department serves residents, visitors and local schools through patrol, investigations, dispatch and other public safety functions.
WHAT CHANGES
Anderson moves from Special Operations Lieutenant to chief. Carroll’s interim public safety role becomes permanent.
WHAT'S NEXT
The city has announced the personnel decisions. Residents can contact the department for service questions and the chief for non-emergency leadership inquiries.
FULL LCN REPORT
What Happened
Groveland selected Lt. Sammy Anderson as police chief, the city announced October 1, 2026. Anderson has 23 years of law enforcement experience, including 15 years with Groveland, and most recently served as Special Operations Lieutenant.
The announcement also makes Fire Chief Kevin Carroll the permanent public safety director. He had held that position on an interim basis following the former police chief’s departure.
Why It Matters
The selection followed Carroll’s individual interviews with police employees and a department assessment covering strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, along with recommendations. The city says a recurring preference among employees was for the next chief to come from within the department.
The department’s 2024 annual report offers context for the responsibilities involved. It recorded 52,883 calls for service, separating reactive calls, proactive activity and other service work. That total should not be read as a count of reported crimes; the report includes different types of police activity.
Who It Affects
The department provides round-the-clock municipal law enforcement, including dispatch, patrol, traffic enforcement, detective work and crime-scene investigation. Those services affect residents and people traveling through or visiting Groveland, not only individuals involved in a criminal case.
In its 2024 report, the department listed 62 full-time employees: 45 sworn officers and 17 civilian personnel. Those figures describe the 2024 reporting period rather than a verified October 2026 staffing count.
The same report describes school resource assignments at South Lake High School, Cecil E. Gray Middle School and Groveland Elementary School. It also reports 60 community events during 2024, showing the department’s work outside routine enforcement and investigations.
What Changes
The city has named a chief from its own ranks and made the public safety director role permanent. The announcement establishes the selected leadership, but it does not describe the assessment’s individual recommendations or announce a new patrol strategy or service timetable.
The department’s published accountability framework provides another point of reference. Its 2024 annual report describes a professional standards function that investigates complaints and misconduct allegations and reports the department’s first reaccreditation in March 2024. Those are existing institutional responsibilities, not newly announced reforms under Anderson.
What’s Next
Residents seeking routine assistance can reach Groveland Police Department at 352-429-4166. The city’s phone menu lists option 1 for administration, 2 for records, 3 for non-emergency dispatch and 4 for public information. Emergencies should go to 911.
The department is located at 6825 State Road 50. The city’s staff directory now identifies Anderson as police chief and lists sammy.anderson@groveland-fl.gov for direct, non-emergency correspondence.
Government Sources
City of Groveland, October 1 appointment announcement:
https://www.groveland-fl.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1577
Groveland Police Department, 2024 annual report:
https://www.groveland-fl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7443/PD-2024-Annual-Report
City of Groveland, police services:
https://www.groveland-fl.gov/148/Police-Department
City of Groveland, department directory:
https://www.groveland-fl.gov/m/directory/department?did=11
City of Groveland, Police Chief Anderson directory entry:
https://www.groveland-fl.gov/m/directory/employee?eid=302
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