I had a chance to talk to Clay County Sheriff candidates Harold Rutledge and Darryl Daniels about their campaigns in an effort to bring awareness to voters who may not know much about them.

The other candidates James Jett and Craig Aldrich were contacted to participate as well but did not accept the invitation.

Many voters do not know enough about candidates before they go to the voting booth. This interview series is an effort to change that. I asked both candidates the same questions and listed their responses after each question below.

During this time of terrorism concerns and the President trying to take away our guns, it is important to know where your next Sheriff stands. Rutledge and Daniels had different ideas and were not afraid to explain why they feel that way.

Shark Tank: It has been brought to my attention some parts of Green Cove are high crime and are hindering the municipalities prosperity. If elected, how will you address that issue?

Daniels: The issue of high crime is not isolated solely to the City of Green Cove Springs (GCS). Some parts of Orange Park, Keystone Heights, Middleburg, and some of our densely populated communities experience crime activity as well that can be perceived as high for those areas. Currently, the Green Cove Springs Police Department has the primary jurisdictional responsibility for the municipality of GCS and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the entire county. Consequently, those jurisdictional lines must be respected unless a joint agency initiative is undertaken or a request for assistance is made from the GCS Police Department.

Addressing crime issues is not as difficult as one may think if the appropriate resources and strategies are employed. The first step in addressing crime in the hotspots of GCS is to collaboratively review the statistical data to determine when and where the most criminal activity is occurring. That way the supporting criminal data can be leveraged to deploy resources in a focused manner utilizing the predictive policing model.

Without divulging law enforcement tactics, it is safe to say that the most impactful way to address crime is to involve the community through both education and partnership. These basic strategies lie at the center of where I want to take the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. I am confident that with a combined approach of focused proactive law enforcement, community education, and partnership, we can significantly minimize and/or eliminate crime from our neighborhoods.

Rutledge: As the Sheriff is Clay County I will work with each municipality to help them reduce their crime. Having a good working relationship with the chief of police in Green Cove Springs and Orange Park is vital to protect all of our citizens. If they are having problems that the Sheriff’s Office can assist with, I pledge our support.

Shark Tank: Some Clay county officers have more then one county issued police cruiser they keep at their home. Many feel this is a waste of tax money. Do you feel it is and if so how will it be handled if you are elected? 

Daniels: Although I am an advocate of the take-home vehicle program for sworn law enforcement officers, I will not authorize multiple Sheriff’s Office vehicles, of any kind, being assigned to or taken home by a Sheriff’s Office employee. Allowing this practice to occur is a gross mismanagement of tax dollars. In these days of tight budgets, all Clay County government agencies need to do their best not to be a burden on the taxpayers of our county. I do not like to waste my family’s hard earned money and I certainly will not waste taxpayer’s dollars.

Rutledge: With the example you gave me, there is a time and place where an officer might have more than one patrol vehicle at their house. For example, if an officer is assigned to the traffic unit, the officer will be issued a motorcycle and a police car for those days where the weather might make it dangerous to be on a motorcycle, or when the job assignment might make a patrol car necessary.

Shark Tank: Terrorism is a key issue for Floridians. What is your advice to not only the residents of Clay County but to the residents of the state on how to say safe in such a dangerous time?

Daniels: We live in some trying times and Clay County is not exempt from the things that are going on around the country. We all have a duty to remain vigilant as we go about our normal lives. We grew up hearing that it takes an entire village to raise a child. I would argue that it takes the involvement of an entire community to keep us safe. Do your part by staying alert; we’re all in this together. Not to get into critical infrastructure, soft and hard targets, or vulnerability within our jurisdiction, I will say that the citizens of Clay County and of Florida need to first be aware of their surroundings. This is called situational awareness. If you notice anything that seems suspicious or just doesn’t look right, please bring it to the attention of law enforcement. Some people feel like they may be a burden by involving law enforcement so they elect not to do anything; that is a big mistake, which could be costly

Rutledge: Our residents always need to be aware of their surroundings. If our residents see something they need to say something. I want all of our citizens to be good witnesses. Be aware when you shop, eat at restaurants, walking to school, walking through a parking lot, or even outside your house. Look around. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Call the Sheriff’s Office.

Shark Tank: What are your positions on guns? Do you fully support the 2nd Amendment and Florida’s stand you ground law? Why/Why not? 

Daniels: I am a lifetime National Rifle Association (NRA) member and an advocate for the legal carrying of firearms. My family and I have owned guns since we could legally purchase them. In this day and age, residents should consider how they will protect their families in a crisis, since the response time for law enforcement officers is generally anywhere between two to eight minutes depending upon where you live in Clay County. I advocate for the legal carrying of firearms. In these trying times, I would suggest that if a person has gone through the process of being licensed to carry a concealed weapon in this state, that they exercise that right and do so.

I fully support the United States Constitution and the right to bear arms in our country. I recognize the fact that the Sheriff is the last line of protection for the county. I am fully committed to protecting those rights and our county, as the next Sheriff, against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

Florida Statute 776.013 is commonly called the “Stand Your Ground” law. Citizens would be well advised to read the law for themselves so they know what the law has to say about home defense and justifiable use of force. I believe that when a citizen is put in a situation where they reasonably believe they, or those around them, are threatened with an imminent danger of great bodily harm or death, they do not have a duty to retreat. They have the right to stand their ground against an attacker.

Rutledge: I am in full support of the 2nd Amendment. The stand your ground law states that you do not have a duty to retreat if you are threatened. This means that if someone breaks into my house, I do not have to run through my house retreating from room to room and potentially leave my kids in their front bedrooms unprotected. I can stand my ground and defend my family from some monster trying to hurt my kids. I am in full support of the stand your ground law.

Shark Tank: Anti police rhetoric is all around us. How will you offset the hate and do you agree with the #BlackLivesMatter movement? 

Daniels: There are people around us who are distrustful of law enforcement; their reasons are not as important as the need to break down those walls of mistrust and to build people’s confidence in their local law enforcement agencies. Barriers can be removed through effective communication; that communication flows both ways. Citizens have their views of law enforcement and vice versa. However, I plan on executing a long-term community-focused initiative that will engage the communities of Clay County through positive interactions and open dialogue with law enforcement. If elected as Sheriff, I will mandate that to be considered for appointment on my administrative staff, an employee will be required to adopt and champion a non-profit organization that gives back tangibly to Clay County. My goal is to cultivate a culture of service to community and to live the principles that we as law enforcement swore to safeguard.

With respect to “#BlackLivesMatters,” my position is that ALL lives matter! So to answer the question of do I agree with that movement, my answer is no. Life is life and none of us are in a position of deity to dictate whether one life matters more than another. If elected, I will be everyone’s Sheriff and I will protect and defend ALL life through the men and women of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Rutledge: Clay County is a great place to live, learn, work, and play. We are not suffering some of the same problems that are plaguing larger cities. We need to protect our communities by taking some steps to prevent us from going down the same road as one of our neighbors.

First and foremost, everyone’s life matters. I believe we have arrived at this point in time because somewhere, somehow, law enforcement and the community went in two different directions. Law enforcement began 100s of years ago with every citizen taking their turn serving as a night watchman. Everyone in the city had a vested interest in their own safety. We are at a point now where the communities and the police don’t understand each other.

As Sheriff, my plan is to re-connect with the communities. We do this several ways.

1. I will assign officers to areas and keep them there. Moving deputies from area to area does not allow them to buy into the community, and does not allow them to learn the communities.

2. We put deputies into the community to connect and determine what the needs of their communities are. The deputy will do this by getting to know the citizens they protect. This will also let the citizens get to know the deputies that are protecting them. If we can create a dialogue with the community we will be able to solve problems, reduce crime, and prevent people from becoming victims.

Shark Tank: If elected, what will your demeanor be towards the officers of Clay county? Are you a leader or a manager? Thus meaning do you believe in being only an authoritative figure and giving orders or do you believe the best way to run the Sheriff’s office is by listening to other officer’s concerns and working together?

Daniels: Let me begin by saying that I love the profession of law enforcement and I believe in supporting the men and women who have devoted themselves to this profession. I have learned that if leaders support the men and women who are on the front line that their strengths are voluntarily maximized. The outcome is a more energized workforce.

I consider myself both a leader and a manager. In leadership, there are many approaches to motivate people to accomplish the mission. There is a time and place for each style; all of which are predicated by the situation. My success as a leader has been to put the right people in the right assignments and to stay out their way. However, the lines of communication throughout the chain of command have to be open for everyone to have a voice if the situation allows. It has been my experience that free flow of information makes for improved morale. Employees want to know that they have a voice and that the powers that be will listen with open minds.

Rutledge: The men and women of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office work hard every day. As a community we cannot thank them enough for everything they do and the sacrifices they make.

As the Sheriff, I am the leader of the agency. I set the tone. I take all the criticism and give the men and women all the accolades. I will lead by example in every area. I will demonstrate Integrity, Fairness, Caring, and Teamwork, the core values of the Sheriff’s Office.

As a manager, I believe you put the right people on the bus before you move the bus forward. I set the vision, the goals, and the objectives and listen to the men and women what is the best way is to get there.

I will have an open door policy and I will encourage the chain of command. I want to hear from the men and women that are carrying out the vision on how we can improve the process to get there.

As an agency we have to work together, all areas, together to make Clay County a safer place to raise our children.

I will work hard to advocate for the employees and get them a decent wage. I could never afford pay the employees what they are worth, but I promise above all, to treat them like they are priceless.

If you want to learn more about the candidates or reach out to their campaign, there websites are as follows:

Harold Rutledge: http://www.voterutledge.com/

Darryl Daniels: http://danielsforsheriff.com/