Groveland has a new police chief. The city named Lt. Sammy Anderson to lead the Groveland Police Department, closing a turbulent chapter that ended with the firing of his predecessor, a federal lawsuit and an internal reckoning over how the department was run.
Anderson brings 23 years of law enforcement experience to the role, 15 of them spent serving Groveland specifically. He most recently served as Special Operations Lieutenant, working his way up through the ranks of GPD over the course of his career.
A deliberate, inside hire
The city did not rush the decision. After the departure of former Chief Shawn Ramsey, Fire Chief Kevin Carroll stepped in as interim Public Safety Director and spent weeks conducting one-on-one interviews with GPD staff. He also completed a full SWOT analysis and recommendations report for the department.
A clear message came back from those interviews: GPD employees wanted the next chief to come from within. Anderson fit that description exactly.
Carroll has since been named permanent Public Safety Director, adding that title to his role as Fire Chief.
How the previous chief was pushed out
The road to Anderson’s appointment started with a speeding sergeant and ended in federal court.
Former Chief Shawn Ramsey, who led GPD for about nine years, was fired on Aug. 25 after an internal dispute over how he handled discipline for Sgt. Alexander Jarrell. An internal investigation found Jarrell drove a department vehicle faster than 100 mph on three separate occasions while using his emergency lights — and was not responding to an emergency. Investigators determined he was simply driving to work.
Ramsey disciplined Jarrell with a three-day suspension, a 30-day loss of his take-home vehicle and six months of work probation. The city said that was not enough. The termination notice cited “Inappropriate Behavior” and “Unsatisfactory Performance,” and accused Ramsey of misleading the city attorney and city manager by saying there had been only one speeding incident — not three.
Ramsey’s attorney, Anthony Sabatini, disputed the city’s account and argued that officials had never previously questioned the chief’s disciplinary calls.
Ramsey files federal lawsuit
Ramsey took the fight to court. In September, he filed a federal lawsuit against the city alleging First Amendment retaliation, claiming he was fired after reporting what he believed were violations of law, misuse of public resources and abuse of governmental authority.
The lawsuit also includes claims of interference with his rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Ramsey says he submitted medical certification for intermittent leave on July 28. He also filed a workers’ compensation claim related to hypertension on Aug. 11 — and according to the complaint, city records show the decision to fire him came the very next day.
Ramsey claims the city had no documented performance concerns before his whistleblower disclosures, and says he was told in April that there were “absolutely” no concerns about his performance. He is seeking damages, attorney fees and either reinstatement or front pay.
A State Attorney’s Office investigation tied to Ramsey’s whistleblower reports wrapped up in April with, according to Ramsey, “no evidence of any crime whatsoever.”
The allegations have not been proven in court. The city has not yet filed a response to the complaint. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida’s Ocala Division.
Anderson steps in
Against that backdrop, Anderson’s selection signals a reset. The city pointed to his career arc as an example of what GPD and Groveland want to stand for — a place where people can grow, lead and build a career in service to the community.