Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall to Enter Private Sector

Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall is set to step down this month after 24 years in the position.

Hall announced his looming transition Wednesday, saying he has a “rare opportunity” to work within the private sector.

Hall tells Scene sister publication the Nashville Post the new job is within the law enforcement and corrections sphere. He considers the position “rare” for the field as it is will not require him to be on call 24 hours a day. Hall will continue to reside in Nashville, though he will not be working with a locally based company.

Hall’s last day at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office is set for Oct. 19.

Having spent more than 35 years working at the DCSO, Hall was elected to his seventh term as sheriff in August. The Metro Council will appoint an interim sheriff next month, with a new sheriff to be elected in 2027.

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Hall is the youngest person to be elected as Nashville sheriff and has served in the position longer than any previous leader of the entity. Throughout his tenure, he oversaw the design and implementation of the Behavioral Care Center, an alternative to jail that focuses on decriminalizing mental illness and has acted as a model for dozens of other U.S. cities. This year, Hall successfully challenged the state of Tennessee in a lawsuit regarding state inmates being held in local jails.

“I have come to realize there will always be new challenges to address, and there may never be a perfect time to step away,” Hall says in a press release.

“But I am 62 years old and have spent over half my life at the DCSO. The time has come for me to seize a new opportunity and begin the next chapter of my life. Serving the people of Nashville and working alongside the DCSO staff has been the greatest privilege of my career, and I will always be grateful for those who placed their trust in me over the years.”

Earlier this year, the Metro Council approved a pay hike for the sheriff’s position, raising the minimum salary to $275,597.39.

Hall’s retirement comes before sheriffs' offices in Tennessee are required to sign 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigrant and Custom’s Enforcement, following legislation approved by the Tennessee General Assembly this year. Hall tells the Post this was not a factor in his decision to depart the sheriff’s office, but he believes it is a significant issue for future leadership to monitor.

“I do think it's important as we go forward that the person who is appointed here have a grasp of that situation so that Nashville is represented in that conversation,” Hall says.

“I don't like the overreach from the state to the city or the city to the state,” he adds. “There's a lot of that that goes on in a job like this, and it gets in the way sometimes of trying to do the right thing.”

This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.