MARION COUNTY — New and proposed police reform laws are being blamed for the resignation of a local law enforcement leader.

Marion County Sheriff Rich Stevenson has announced his last day on the job will be June 30 and in a letter to the Marion County Board, he points to new police reform laws as the reason for his resignation.

Stevenson also recommended Lieutenant Andy Garden as his replacement.

Garden has been with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department for 32 years and started his career at the agency when he was 21.

Stevenson is in his second term in office and notes in his letter that he didn’t plan to run for a third term next year but attacks on law enforcement made him decide it was time to resign.