Why I'm running for Sheriff of Wakulla County

When I retired from the Florida Highway Patrol, (FHP), in 2006, I could have gone anywhere in the world to live, but I chose to stay in Wakulla County because of the quality of life I had enjoyed here for more than a decade with my family, friends, and neighbors. This is my home.

My pledge to you as Sheriff of Wakulla County will be:

• To be a full-time sheriff with no outside employment
• To make the sheriff's badge stand for honesty and integrity.
• To call for a comprehensive audit by the Auditor General of the sheriff's budget so that everyone can see how the taxpayer's money is spent.
• To reduce the top-heavy number of high-ranking officers in the sheriff's department in order to increase the number of patrols in our neighborhoods and put more deputies back on the streets to protect our community.
• To add more resources to combat the drug problem in this county.
• To reduce burglaries. Statistics showing that burglaries and drugs go hand-in-hand make it clear that, with the number of burglaries reported in our local paper every week, Wakulla County has a drug problem.
• To make Wakulla County more secure by strengthening the relationships between the Sheriff's office, the fire departments, and EMS.
• To create a mentoring program of sheriff's deputies and employees for at risk children before they become full-time wards of the court.
• To deal more effectively with persons diagnosed with mental illness before they get into the criminal justice system. This is especially important for our veterans.
• To create a Sheriff's Advisory Committee of county residents who will keep the sheriff informed of concerns in Wakulla County.