CASSELBERRY, Fla. – Casselberry Police Captain William Nas received an emotional send-off from city officials Tuesday as he prepares to take the helm as police chief in Dade City after serving the Casselberry community for 25 years.
Mayor David Henson presented Nas with a proclamation during a ceremony recognizing his progression from a 20-year-old rookie officer to his current role as captain.
“They took a chance on a young man,” Nas said, reflecting on his July 2000 hiring. “I’ve learned the right way to do things. I’ve learned how to treat people. I’ve learned what’s important for a police department and the way it relates to its community.”
Nas served in multiple roles over the years, including patrolman, motorcycle officer, and traffic investigator. While maintaining his duties on the force, he pursued his law degree at Barry University, attending classes at night.
Casselberry Police Chief Larry Krantz, who has worked alongside Nas for the past decade, identified his leadership potential right away.
“He was one of the ones that I recognized early on that had tremendous potential,” Krantz said. “Someone that I knew would be able to excel as a leader. And he has not proven me wrong.”
After starting as a patrol officer, Nas was promoted to corporal in 2004, sergeant in 2006, commander in 2016, and finally captain in 2019. While he says he’s excited to serve as a police chief, Nas admits it’s hard to say goodbye to Casselberry.
“I was crying 30 minutes ago,” Nas said. “It’s tough. You’re going to miss people, and it’s a big change. But that’s just part of life.”
Chief Krantz said Dade City is lucky to have Nas as its new chief of police.
“He’s been well-positioned to take this role, and he is certainly going to excel for them. And it’s going to be a nice ride for them,” Krantz said. “They are tremendously blessed to have him.”
Nas takes over as the chief of the Dade City Police Department on July 8.