Harnett County sheriff resigns; new sheriff appointed
LILLINGTON (WTVD) -- Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins announced Monday that he is stepping down.
In a letter of resignation, Rollins wrote that his resignation was effective at 5 p.m. Monday.
"I sincerely thank all the citizens of this great county who have supported my tenure as Sheriff since 2002," Rollins wrote. "I am eternally grateful for the experiences, which are truly some of the highlights of my 40-year career in law enforcement."
Rollins also thanked his staff members for their dedication and support.
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners was notified of Rollins' intentions to resign on Feb. 9, ABC11 has learned.
Maj. Wayne Coats will serve as sheriff for the remainder of Rollins' term. The next election for Harnett County Sheriff will be Nov. 6, 2018.
Coats was appointed during Monday night's Board of Commissioners meeting.
The Board voted unanimously to appoint Coats.
Coats was selected from among three sheriff's majors after interviews with the commissioners.
Regarding Coats, the Board wrote:
In selecting Maj. Coats as sheriff, the board considered his 22 years of law enforcement experience with 20 of those years spent with the Harnett County Sheriff's Office, first as a deputy assigned to Campbell University and then as an employee working his way up through the Sheriff's Office, as well as the level of respect that other members of the Sheriff's Office have for him, and his dedication to serving the citizens of Harnett County.
We look forward to working with Sheriff Coats, and we thank Sheriff Rollins for his service and wish him well.
Rollins could not be reached for additional comment Monday night.
