Lake County Sheriff Leads with Integrity and Innovation to Enhance Safety. 

Sheriff Peyton Grinnell’s roots run deep in Lake County, starting with being an alum of Leesburg High School. Born into a family with a strong military background, Sheriff Grinnell’s early life was immersed in discipline and service. 

“My dad was a Vietnam War veteran, his dad was a World War II veteran and his uncle was in General Patton’s Army, so military is big in the family,” the sheriff says. 

That upbringing gave him respect for structure and duty that would later define his career.

Sheriff Grinnell joined the Marines after high school, served in the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST), spent six months training in combat weapons and close-quarters battle by the FBI and a SEAL Team unit. He served in Operation Just Cause in Panama before deploying to Iraq during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. 

While transitioning from military to civilian life, Sheriff Grinnell was determined to have a career in law enforcement even though he was having a hard time finding an “in” without a college degree. His determination led him to pursue an education in criminal justice while working various jobs. His persistence paid off when he was hired by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, where he has served ever since, climbing the ranks and being elected sheriff in 2016.

He recently completed his master’s degree while his son, Blake Grinnell, kept the family circle of military service unbroken at Fort Lewis in Washington.

Today, Sheriff Grinnell is dedicated to advancing safety efforts by focusing on integrating advanced technology — including five new drone teams — into law enforcement practices. 

“We also launched our Real-Time Crime Center, which I’m very proud of,” he says. “We have analysts and detectives that can see what is going on in real-time and get people out there quicker.”

This enhances both officer safety and community responsiveness, or in short, helps catch the bad guys faster.

Sheriff Grinnell is deeply committed to deputy wellness. He understands the psychological toll the profession can take. 

“It’s crucial because these deputy sheriffs are out there making decisions dealing with the public, so their wellness has to be good in order for them to effectively help other people,” he says.

Under Sheriff Grinnell’s leadership, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office has led multiple initiatives to keep fentanyl and other deadly substances off our streets and created a partnership with rehabilitation specialists for addicts.  

As Sheriff Grinnell puts it, “Serve people, support our communities and safeguard our quality of life. It’s a very simple mission statement and these employees here do a great job of that.”