By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Osceola County Sheriff's Major Jacob Ruiz announced his retirement today after 21 years of serving and protecting with the law enforcement the agency.
"Today, I am announcing my retirement as Major from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office," Ruiz wrote on his Facebook page mirroring his retirement letter to his boss, Sheriff Russ Gibson, who also retired today.
Ruiz said he's "grateful for the opportunities" he's had to grow in his law enforcement career and for "all the milestones reached" in his 21 years serving the community as a law enforcement officer.
"It is an honor I will proudly carry the rest of my life," Ruiz said.
Jacob Ruiz said he's "grateful for the opportunities" he's had to grow in his law enforcement career and for "all the milestones reached" in his 21 years" serving the community as a law enforcement officer.
"It is an honor I will proudly carry the rest of my life," Ruiz said.
Ruiz, 43, said it has been "a blessing to serve others and to work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for our community and help to breakdown barriers that sometimes sets us apart."
Ruiz added, "My family and I look forward to the future with new opportunities to serve others, strengthening families and communities."
Ruiz ended his retirement posting by thanking his family for "allowing me to do this job and all the great people I’ve had the privilege to work alongside."
Ruiz is No. 98 in the Headline Surfer rankings of the Top 100 Central Florida Cops. The compilation is still in its early stages with Ruiz the most recent entrant.
The Top 4 slots have already been locked in with the Headline Surfer Mount Rushmore of Central Florida's Finest. They are: 1. Dennis Lemma, sheriff of Seminole County; 2. Debra Clayton, Orlando police lieutenant, shot and killed in the line of duty; 3. Craig Capri, recently retired police chief with Daytona Beach PD; 4. John Mina, sheriff of Orange County and former Orlando police chief.
Osceola County Sheriff's Major Jacob Ruiz is No. 98 in the Headline Surfer rankings of the Top 100 Central Florida Cops. The compilation is still in its early stages with Ruiz the most recent entrant. The top 4 slots have already been locked in with the Headline Surfer Mount Rushmore of Central Florida's Finest. They are: 1. Dennis Lemma, sheriff of Seminole County; 2. Debra Clayton, Orlando police lieutenant, shot and killed in the line of duty; 3. Craig Capri, recently retired police chief with Daytona Beach PD; 4. John Mina, sheriff of Orange County and former Orlando police chief.
Ruiz, is father to a 13-year-old son and three daughters, ages 17, 20 and 21.
He is a former Marine who began his law enforcement career in 1999 with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts.
Ruiz later relocated to South Florida where he worked for the Broward Sheriff’s Office as a detention deputy and then as a municipal cop with the Lauderhill Police Department.
In 2003, Ruiz moved to Central Florida where he began his career with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Ruiz has worked as a patrol deputy, school resource officer, persons crimes detective, and has served as a SWAT team operator since 2008.
Four years later, Ruiz attained the rank of sergeant, and then in 2015. as a lieutenant.
In 2017 Sheriff Gibson promoted Ruiz to captain. And later that year, Ruiz was promoted to major over the OCSO Administrative Services Bureau.
Ruiz holds degrees in Homeland Security, History and is a graduate of the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College, with an Executive Masters in Business Administration. He is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute’s Command Officers Development Course.
Ruiz has been an active member of the Osceola Hispanic Business Council and sits on the board of the Osceola Boys and Girls Club.
It's not surprising that Ruiz chose to leave with Gibson also leaving Monday - the final day after the incumbent finished second in a 3-way Democratic primary for sheriff on Aug. 18 to Marco Lopez, a former longtime deputy sergeant with the OCSO, who went on to an easy win over NPA candidate Tony Fernandez by a 2-1 margin.
Gibson, sheriff for four years, posted a comment on his own Facebook page, stating in part, "Today is my last day serving as The Sheriff of Osceola County ending more than 32 years of service to the residents and visitors of Osceola County. It has been a true privilege and an absolute honor to serve each and every one of you for more than 3 decades."
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories. Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.