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Sheriff-Elect Simmons Names Retiring PPD Chief Tommi Lyter As ECSO Chief Deputy
December 16, 2020
Sheriff-elect Chip Simmons has named retiring Pensacola Police Chief Tommi Lyter chief deputy at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Lyter announced his retirement Wednesday from the Pensacola Police Department. He has more than 30-years of law enforcement experience, a master’s degree in public administration and is a graduate from the FBI Academy. During his time at the Pensacola Police Department he served on the K9 team, SWAT team, street crimes and investigation units, he was a field training officer, and a member of the dive team. In 2015, Lyter served as the assistant Pensacola police chief. In May of 2017, he was appointed chief of police by then Pensacola mayor Ashton Hayward.
“Sheriff-Elect Chip Simmons has been my mentor throughout my entire law enforcement career, so this opportunity was one I couldn’t pass up. I understand Sheriff-Elect Simmons’ vision and I look forward to assisting him in bringing community engagement on a larger scale and addressing violent crimes in our community. I have worked alongside the men and women who serve at the ECSO for more than 30 years and I have the upmost respect for them. I can’t wait to be a part of the team,” Lyter said.
“We continue to look for ways to improve our service to the citizens of Escambia County. When you have an opportunity to bring in someone of Lyter’s ability and experience, you take it. I have worked with Lyter for many years. He and I share a commitment to the highest levels of enforcement and engagement,” said Simmons, who was serving in the chief deputy position at the time of his election in November.
Lyter will take over the roll of chief deputy on January 5.
Lyter’s last day with the Pensacola Police Department will be December 27, at which time Deputy Chief Kevin Christman will be named the interim Chief of Police.
Comments
28 Responses to “Sheriff-Elect Simmons Names Retiring PPD Chief Tommi Lyter As ECSO Chief Deputy”
I see nothing wrong with taking care of one’s friends, but I would have attempted to be more discrete.
This is a little direct, a little too soon, a little to blatant.
I would have exercised greater discretion and have gradually eased my friend into that position, but over a period of time, for to avoid the attention that this has drew/drawn.
Personally; as long as they are not bothering me, I could care less what they do.
@stumpknocker
They did go to FRS for new employees. All the prior employees had the option to stay in the city retirement system.
I second hiring David Alexander. He’s a good man and would be great for community relations.
Hire David Alexander as a community liaison or something dealing with the public. He would be an asset. Seems ike a nice guy and has the experience.
@SMH I believe a few years ago the city went to the state retirement plan.
Look out for metro government.
Lyter going to the county is not double dipping. The city retirement is literally city retirement while the county is FRS. The two retirement systems are completely separate. I’m sure all the military people on here understand, when they retire from service, go get a new job and get another retirement, it’s the same concept. It’s a very smart move for Lyter and you would think the county residents would want ECSO to have qualified staff…
Also, PPD does not have automatic tag readers on any cars so that’s misinformation. Hopefully the city will not become part of ECSO, it functions just fine the way it is now. If the mayor has two brain cells to rub together, he will promote DC Christman to the chief position.
Working and earning a pension for two different jobs isn’t double dipping.
Some of us need to ‘double dip’ on that education though
He’s not doing anything differently than someone who retires from the military and then gets another job, it’s a smart financial and career move. The CoP position is controlled by the mayor (an idiot).
That said, I’m unimpressed by PPD; They are rude, not at all friendly to the citizen, unprofessional, and lazy. Lord only knows what bozo the impotent mayor will tap to fill the position.
I guess if they found out I’m a triple dipper they would be really mad. I earned every penny of the money. This hiring of friends/family happens in every business it’s not what you know it’s who you know that counts. Those posting negative comments on this matter ask yourself if you ever helped anyone you know get a job.
In order to make a living, I’ll be having to keep working when I retire. I’ll be forced out after 30 years and I can’t afford anything on just my pension so Chief Lyter continuing to work us a blessing for our community. I’m thankful we will have a Sheriff and Chief with a great deal of experience. Sounds like a win win for us and too bad the Mayor will continue to drive people away.
Its not double dipping. He worked for PPD for 30 years and retired which he is allowed to do. Just because he went to another job doing the same thing doesn’t mean he is double dipping. Smart move on his part. Collect retirement and a pension doing what he loves, isn’t that what we all are striving to do. 7 more years and I’ll be there.
We are supportive about having a Sheriff who is concerned and dedicated to Law Enforcement and Making Escambia County a safer place to live and bring up kids and grands.
Time we had a Sheriff more concerned about We the People than Morgan is about how many medals and doo-dads he can hang from his uniform. Capt Crunch indeed.
Tommi Lyter will make an Excellent Chief Deputy and with these two men at the helm we should see a change in the street crimes and drug crimes.
A shooting or murder a day is NOT Acceptable in any community.
God Bless and Protect those who Serve Us in their Law Enforcement jobs, City and County. Thank you for putting it on the Thin Blue-Green line for us.
Why don’t they just combine the ECSO and PPD it would say time and paperwork .Since they all coming to work at the ESCO. Why does the New Sheriff not PROMOTE a current employee to this position ?????? Something Smells Fishy to me.
I for one am thrilled to be getting excellent leadership and two seasoned, experienced law enforcement officers who have worked hard to get to where they are. With what LEO’s have to deal with they deserve every benefit they can get. Experienced leadership has been lacking for years at ECSO with the humdinger that was in charge.
Welcome Chip Simmons and Tommi Lyter.
Seeing how angry people get over things like this is great entertainment. Keep it up, I’m loving the comments.
Wow but doesn’t surprise me The Good Ole Boy Strikes Again DOUBLE DIPPING SHAKE MY HEAD
You work 30 years somewhere and earn a pension and then go somewhere else for a job and then you become a “double dipper”?
Big deal. Anyone who has a problem with that should then voluntarily forgo their civilian pension when the start drawing a social security check. I won’t hold my breath.
Reading some of these comments makes it easy to understand why we need more law enforcement officers out there !!
Now I’m a concerned citizen.
If double dipping and good old boy politics annoy you then you won’t want to know that Sheriff-elect Simmons just hired his retired brother and is finalizing hiring his former campaign manager along with a former deputy now turned city councilman. That’s just the start of what is to come and it’s not even January.
Welcome back to collard pot politics.
WELCOME TO THE NEW CITY OF PENSACOLA (ECSO).
If he wanted to stay in law enforcement then he should stay in the city.
GOING to DOUBLE DIP, both of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT NEXT METRO – PENSACOLA / METRO – ESCAMBIA???????
YOU GET WHAT YOU VOTED FOR.
Congratulations Tommi. So happy for you and Lisa. We are happy to have you serving and helping in Escambia county.
Another double dipper! Gets retirement pay and full salary.
Any of y’all reckon that with Simmons retiring and going to the Sheriff’s Office with the PPD Chief chair left empty, will “Grover the Great” appoint the current sheriff Morgan to be Chief of Police in the City of Pensacola?
Seems a possibility….
Concerned citizen,
If there are curbs on your freedom, it was not a liberal genius conspiracy that put them in place. Around here, we believe in limited government until our kind secures power, then authoritarian government after that.
So will the arbitrary traffic stops dictated by the tag scanner on the front of the PPD cruisers continue to be an issue?
Just because my name is on the title and registration doesn’t mean another person isn’t insured and authorized to drive the vehicle.
My loved ones should not be arbitrarily stopped by an ADOLESCENT PPD OFFICER, in a vehicle owned by me, simply because a COMPUTER IN A SQUAD CAR says so.
Where are you getting these hires at?
The drug problem in this town has been at epidemic proportions for far too long now, no reason for it… Gonna make my kid late to work and my wife late to school, trying to collect your piss poor salaries handing out tickets.
FYI, the “CHILD OFFICER” that stopped my wife on her way to drop off the kid at school and go to work, did not bother asking for any more information or give any more details as to why he had pulled her over. Upon realizing there was not a male driving the car, he immediately returned to his vehicle.
So it couldn’t possibly be stolen, or otherwise being used in a illegal matter…
Nope, no dude driving, carry on.
I’m sorry, but this is NOT how law enforcement is supposed to work in a country where men and women have sacrificed their own lives for “FREEDOM”
Arbitrary traffic stops without cause are not FREEDOM.
Just you wait people, the gas chambers and guillotines are coming next.
I know I won’t have to wait too long for some liberal genius to tell me how grateful I should be to have my entire existence scrutinized as a tax-paying, law-abiding, disabled infantry combat veteran.
WOW…just a good ole boy…welcome to the NEW good ole boy system!
Just wondering is all of PPD going to be coming to ECSO . Chip Simmons retired from PPD and came to work at ECSO under the illustrious one and the next PPD Chief be coming when he retires . I’m glad for our lawmen and glad they are doing the job .
Just a thought
Good job, guys!
Thanks for all of your hard work in this county!