Commander Kenneth Ellis

Commander Kenny Ellis began his law enforcement career in 2003 when he was sponsored through the Corrections Academy by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. He initially worked at the agency’s maximum-security jail, where he served for three years. During that time, he completed the Crossover Law Enforcement Academy in 2005.

In 2006, Ellis transferred to the 1st Precinct and was assigned to patrol. He was later selected to serve as a Detective in the Narcotics Unit, where he worked in an undercover capacity. After two years in Narcotics, Ellis transferred to Major Crimes, where he served as a Violent Crimes and Homicide Detective for five years.

In 2014, Ellis was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to supervise the Robbery Unit. In 2018, he was promoted to Lieutenant, where he oversaw the Violent Crimes Unit, Auto Theft Unit, Risk Protection Order Unit, and the Sexual Offender/Predator Unit.

In 2022, Ellis transferred to Operations as a Lieutenant in the 3rd Precinct before later moving to the 4th Precinct, where he served as the Administration Lieutenant. In August 2023, he was promoted to Captain and returned to Major Crimes, overseeing the Violent Crimes Unit, Special Victims Unit, Innocent Images Unit, and the Sexual Offender/Predator Unit.

In September 2025, Ellis was promoted to Commander and assumed responsibility for the agency’s Youth Services Bureau, which oversees school-based law enforcement services across 73 schools and includes more than 100 deputies and supervisors. In February 2026, Ellis transferred to command the agency’s 2nd Precinct in Lehigh Acres.

Commander Ellis also serves on the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Civil Service Board and is a member of the agency’s Incident Management Team. He is married to his wife, Nancy, and they reside in Cape Coral with their two children.