Lt. Gov. Jay Collins Visits Hernando Sheriff's Office, Discusses Drugs, Border Impacts

Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins visited the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office in Brooksville on March 4, 2026, meeting with Sheriff Al Nienhuis and agency leadership to tour the Emergency Call Center and observe live body‑worn camera training. The stop highlighted state-level attention to local law‑enforcement needs after the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a grant‑match request for body‑worn cameras in October 2025.

During the Emergency Call Center tour Collins observed a steady stream of 911 calls coming in and "admitted he was surprised by the sheer volume." He praised dispatchers as first responders, saying, "When things go wrong and there’s an emergency, they’re the people who deal with it on the front end," and added, "They deal with the compounding factor of call after call after call. It’s really hard when you listen to what they deal with those difficult moments, it’s astounding. It really is. We just don’t talk enough about it. I like to shine a light on those things."

Collins spent time in a live body‑worn camera training session and praised the county’s program, calling the instruction "incredible" and "a very complex thing." He said, "It was pretty cool to be able to stop in and see the training. You know, you’re doing some live body cam training. It was incredible to see that the level of instruction, the connectedness, and this is a very complex thing." Hernando County trainers walked through practical challenges including how officers must adjust camera positioning, angles, and even their body movements while wearing the equipment.

Jennifer Vickery, founder of National Strategies PR, listed the specific agenda items for the meeting as "combating fentanyl and drug trafficking, border‑related impacts on Florida communities, supporting local law enforcement resources and strengthening coordination between state and county agencies." Those topics framed Collins’ tour and meetings with Sheriff Nienhuis and HCSO leadership on March 4, as county and state leaders discussed resource and coordination pressures facing Hernando County.

The visit came one day after Collins made a campaign stop in Dixie County, where he met with sheriff’s officials and county commissioners and reflected on his upbringing, saying, "You know what my dad’s biggest issue was, was that he didn’t complain about a thing. He put more in his rucksack, more in his backpack, and he kept working until he couldn’t do anything. That’s the American grit. That’s the spirit. That is what drives towns like this." Collins was appointed and sworn in as Florida’s lieutenant governor after Jeanette Nunez stepped down to become president of Florida International University; Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment.

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the visit on its official social media, opening its post with, "We were honored to welcome Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office this morning. During his visit, he toured" and provided the agency tour that included the Emergency Call Center. Photo documentation of the meeting shows Sheriff Al Nienhuis and Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins speaking at the office on March 4, 2026.