Update: The Republican candidate who was to compete with the Democratic winner in the general election in November, Virginia Algar, passed away in July.
Four Democratic candidates hope to become Desoto County’s next sheriff. Incumbent Sheriff Will Wise is retiring. The Democratic contenders all have decades of experience in law enforcement.
Craig Aument has worked for the DeSoto County Sheriff’s office for more than 30 years. He started in the county jail and worked his way up to commander. He said that’s the way to have the best trained, best prepared candidate step into office.
“There is no school that you can go to, to be a sheriff,” said Aument. “And I truly believe the best way to learn to be a sheriff is to be a deputy sheriff and to learn the operation from the inside out.”
Aument’s campaigning to open up the lines of communication with the community.
“Here in DeSoto County we’re very fortunate to have great support from our community but that can always be better,” he said. “We need to use our local newspaper better and work closer with them. We need to use social media better and be more informative to the citizens. And we also need to work with local organizations and businesses.”
William Delaney was a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper for 35 years. He wants to create a better work environment for his deputies.
“Morale’s probably in an all-time low up there right now,” said Delaney. “I know the pay is low. We got to work on that but if you’re happy at the job I think you’re more inclined to stay or put forth a little more effort.”
Delaney said one of his first goals is to focus on children. He said DeSoto County has nothing for kids to do – no movie theater, no bowling alley - which ends up being a law enforcement issue.
“It’s really one of the big problems in our county right now and they end up getting into trouble,” said Delaney. “And what I’m looking at is community leaders, clergy to put ideas together. We have a really nice lake coming into town that does have a lot of fish in it already. We can do, like, fishing days a couple of days a month for the kids to kind of get them out and do little barbecues.”
Gary Evans is a lieutenant with the Arcadia Police Department. He’s been there for 21 years and has lived in DeSoto County all his life.
“I know the people,” said Evans. “I always care about the community. And I try to keep people safe as best as I can.”
Evans said deputies need to interact with the community because that could help with reluctant witnesses.
“A lot of times when things happen witnesses are afraid to come forward due to retaliation from the perpetrators or that they don’t trust the police officer,” said Evans. “And if we can build that trust and I can get more cooperation of getting witnesses to come forward and give us a lead into what might have occurred.”
James Potter is a retired Florida Highway Patrol Trooper. He was the Arcadia station’s district commander and then oversaw 46 counties as head of the bureau of criminal investigations and intelligence. He’s lived in DeSoto County for 30 years. Potter said he’s a big fan of community policing.
“I feel that connecting with the community and building up a dialogue and improving communications with all the citizens in the county is very, very important for us in law enforcement today, said Potter.
Potter said building trust in law enforcement is very important.
“You have to start a dialogue and it starts the very first day that you take office,” said Potter. “You have to reach out to different individuals and say hello and speak to them and develop that relationship and break down any type of barriers that may be whether they’re actual or imagined.”
DeSoto County Democrats vote August 30th. The winner faces Republican Virginia Algar who has no law enforcement experience and NPA candidate Eliazar Mares in November.