The Sumter County Public Safety Center is now the Sheriff William “Bill” Farmer Public Safety Center following Tuesday night’s vote by county commissioners to rename it.

Honoring Farmer was an initiative by Commissioner Andrew Bilardello.

“I wanted to recognize Sheriff Farmer while he is still with us,” Bilardello said. “He dedicated 50 years of his life to Sumter County.”

Sheriff Farmer served 46 years with the sheriff’s office after working for the FBI, Florida Division of Corrections and as a patrolman for the Webster and Wildwood police departments.

Now serving his sixth term, Republican Sheriff Farmer was first elected sheriff in 1996, and is a U.S. Army veteran, serving from 1966 to 1968.

He has been a member of many boards and dedicated to youth-related organizations. He is a past chairman and longtime board member of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches and past president of the Sumter Gideon Camp.

Farmer attended Sumter County public schools and earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Lake Sumter Community College. He received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Leo University and did graduate work at the National Sheriff’s Institute, Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute and the FBI National Academy.