Walt McNeil

Sheriff McNeil has been in law enforcement for 40 years, and has been the Sheriff in Leon County, Florida since 2016. Sheriff McNeil has led the fight against crime in Tallahassee, has been tapped to lead two state agencies under former Gov. Charlie Crist, and has advised the Obama White House, and other governments around the globe, on law enforcement strategies and tactics. For 10 years at the helm of the Tallahassee Police Department, then Chief McNeil was recognized for his progressive voice and his effective response to citizen concerns, and served as the President of IACP in 2012. His community policing efforts to control gangs, drugs and juvenile crime earned him numerous honors, including the Tallahassee NAACP Humanitarian Award, Public Sector Business Person of the Year and the United States DEA Award.

Sheriff McNeil joined the Fight Crime team in 2019 and quickly became very involved in advocacy in the state of Florida as well as national efforts. During the coronavirus, he was one of the main speakers on a virtual panel discussing the importance of out-of-school-time programs.