It's one of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office's not-so-hidden secrets.

The agency has its own resident bagpipe player - and he's a detective. 

But when the talented Nate Boggs is playing his pipes, he's in full mode with kilt and all. 

As if solving crimes was not enough, Boggs noticed a need and decided he was the man to fill it. 

"There should be a bag piper for the sheriffs office," he said. "That takes care of several events and should be a member of the honor guard."

While Boggs has Scottish roots, he had never picked up the pipes before two years ago. 

"Picking up a wing instument is one thing, that was one daunting task," said Boggs, who also plays guitar and the banjo. "The second of that is that I had no idea of how much of a multi-tasker you have to be."

Boggs said he began with YouTube and eventually worked his way up to professional lessons. 

In addition to playing at celebratory events like St. Patrick's Day, Boggs said his biggest responsibility is honoring those who have passed away, including those who fell in the line of duty. 

As fate would have it, during a family trip in Chattanooga, Tenn., Boggs came across a funeral motorcade. 

"I opened the trunk, pulled the bagpipes out and walked to the side of the road and just started playing," he said. 

Turns out the motorcade was  for one of the five military members killed during a 2015 attack on a recruiting station. Boggs said it was a privilege for him to honor those who he said deserve much more. 

"As I'm playing, I realized what I was looking at," Boggs said. "It meant alot to be able to do that and I was honored."