Friends,
My name is Mike Adkinson, Jr. and I?m a Republican running for Sheriff of Walton County. I?m writing to you today to introduce myself and explain why I believe I am best suited to serve as your next sheriff. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my campaign and allowing me this opportunity to participate in your valuable and insightful forum.
I am currently serving as City Marshal of DeFuniak Springs. I am running for sheriff because Walton County residents need a higher level of service from their sheriff?s office and a sheriff who will protect their hard-earned tax dollars, not mismanage and waste them.
As sheriff, I?ll bring an end to the waste and use our tax dollars to provide better service to the people living, working and raising a family here. Through careful personal oversight and conservative fiscal management of the DeFuniak Springs Police Department?s $1.7 million budget, I have been able to stretch taxpayer dollars and help hold the line on taxes. I will do the same as sheriff.
If voters see fit to elect me, I will restructure the sheriff?s office so employees better understand their jobs and role in the agency. Mistakes made due to inadequate training are costly in terms of both money and employee morale. As city marshal, I see that employees are trained and qualified for the work they are asked to perform. As sheriff, the people of Walton County can count on me to follow that same procedure.
Modernizing the sheriff?s office and bringing it in line with accredited law enforcement practices is also among my immediate concerns. As DeFuniak Springs City Marshal since 2005, I have implemented major changes in policy, practice and training, resulting in better qualified personnel, improved service and modern law enforcement practices. (For more details about many of the improvements I have made as city marshal, please click here.)
As your sheriff, I will bring a spirit of cooperation to the office and put an end to the hostilities between the sheriff?s office and other departments and governing bodies. I will reestablish good working relationships with other law enforcement agencies, City of DeFuniak Springs and the Board of County Commissioners. Working together will improve services and lower costs.
One way to save money and improve service is to implement a central communications system for all Walton County emergency services. As sheriff, I will lead that effort.
I believe it is important for our sheriff to be accountable and available to the public, sheriff?s office employees and news media. As sheriff, I will adopt the same open door policy I have in effect as city marshal, establishing regular office hours when anyone can walk in and meet with me. (For more details about my goals as sheriff, please click here.)
I am a sixth-generation native of Walton County and a 15-year law enforcement veteran. Prior to serving as DeFuniak Springs City Marshal, I served with the Tallahassee Police Department, Florida Department of Corrections and Florida Bureau of Probation and Parole. In addition, I serve as an adjunct instructor at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy and have lectured on law enforcement issues at Florida State University and Florida A&M University.
As First Line Supervisor/Field Training Officer for the Tallahassee Police Department from 2000-2005, I supervised, evaluated and trained new police officers to excel in the line of duty. In addition, I was one of only a few officers specially assigned investigations from the burglary and homicide/assault divisions.
In 2005, I was appointed to complete the remaining term in office of the former DeFuniak Springs City Marshal. In 2007, I was elected to the office by winning 67 percent of the votes cast. (For more details about by experience, please click here.)
I am a 1988 graduate of Walton Senior High School. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology in 1992 from Florida State University and am currently working on my Master?s degree in Criminal Justice with a focus in critical incident management. I have continued my criminal justice education by attending more than 2,000 hours of additional law enforcement training.
I am honored to be the recipient of numerous commendations during my law enforcement career including being nominated for top law enforcement officer of the year in the Big Bend area when I served on the Tallahassee Police Department. I currently serve on the Ethics Committee for the Florida Chief?s Association.
I have been married for 14 years and live in DeFuniak Springs with my wife Erin and our two daughters, aged seven and three.
For more information, please visit my campaign Web site at www.MikeAdkinsonJr.com.
Thank you again for reading this and investing the time to learn about the candidates for sheriff. I hope after visiting my Web site and learning more about me that you will honor me with your vote in the Republican Primary Election on August 26.
Sincerely,
Mike Adkinson, Jr.
Republican candidate for sheriff
My name is Mike Adkinson, Jr. and I?m a Republican running for Sheriff of Walton County. I?m writing to you today to introduce myself and explain why I believe I am best suited to serve as your next sheriff. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my campaign and allowing me this opportunity to participate in your valuable and insightful forum.
I am currently serving as City Marshal of DeFuniak Springs. I am running for sheriff because Walton County residents need a higher level of service from their sheriff?s office and a sheriff who will protect their hard-earned tax dollars, not mismanage and waste them.
As sheriff, I?ll bring an end to the waste and use our tax dollars to provide better service to the people living, working and raising a family here. Through careful personal oversight and conservative fiscal management of the DeFuniak Springs Police Department?s $1.7 million budget, I have been able to stretch taxpayer dollars and help hold the line on taxes. I will do the same as sheriff.
If voters see fit to elect me, I will restructure the sheriff?s office so employees better understand their jobs and role in the agency. Mistakes made due to inadequate training are costly in terms of both money and employee morale. As city marshal, I see that employees are trained and qualified for the work they are asked to perform. As sheriff, the people of Walton County can count on me to follow that same procedure.
Modernizing the sheriff?s office and bringing it in line with accredited law enforcement practices is also among my immediate concerns. As DeFuniak Springs City Marshal since 2005, I have implemented major changes in policy, practice and training, resulting in better qualified personnel, improved service and modern law enforcement practices. (For more details about many of the improvements I have made as city marshal, please click here.)
As your sheriff, I will bring a spirit of cooperation to the office and put an end to the hostilities between the sheriff?s office and other departments and governing bodies. I will reestablish good working relationships with other law enforcement agencies, City of DeFuniak Springs and the Board of County Commissioners. Working together will improve services and lower costs.
One way to save money and improve service is to implement a central communications system for all Walton County emergency services. As sheriff, I will lead that effort.
I believe it is important for our sheriff to be accountable and available to the public, sheriff?s office employees and news media. As sheriff, I will adopt the same open door policy I have in effect as city marshal, establishing regular office hours when anyone can walk in and meet with me. (For more details about my goals as sheriff, please click here.)
I am a sixth-generation native of Walton County and a 15-year law enforcement veteran. Prior to serving as DeFuniak Springs City Marshal, I served with the Tallahassee Police Department, Florida Department of Corrections and Florida Bureau of Probation and Parole. In addition, I serve as an adjunct instructor at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy and have lectured on law enforcement issues at Florida State University and Florida A&M University.
As First Line Supervisor/Field Training Officer for the Tallahassee Police Department from 2000-2005, I supervised, evaluated and trained new police officers to excel in the line of duty. In addition, I was one of only a few officers specially assigned investigations from the burglary and homicide/assault divisions.
I was honored to serve as head of Florida?s GPS project for the 2nd Judicial Circuit in 1998, the first officer in Florida to hold such a position. My responsibilities for the statewide project included serving as lead field contact for auditors from The Office of Policy Program Analysis and Government Accountability and representing the project before Senate and House committees. In 1999, I was placed in charge of the state probation & parole field office located in Jefferson County. To my knowledge, I was one of the youngest officers to achieve that position in the 25,000-member department. I reported directly to the Deputy Circuit Administrator in Tallahassee.
In 2005, I was appointed to complete the remaining term in office of the former DeFuniak Springs City Marshal. In 2007, I was elected to the office by winning 67 percent of the votes cast. (For more details about by experience, please click here.)
I am a 1988 graduate of Walton Senior High School. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology in 1992 from Florida State University and am currently working on my Master?s degree in Criminal Justice with a focus in critical incident management. I have continued my criminal justice education by attending more than 2,000 hours of additional law enforcement training.
I am honored to be the recipient of numerous commendations during my law enforcement career including being nominated for top law enforcement officer of the year in the Big Bend area when I served on the Tallahassee Police Department. I currently serve on the Ethics Committee for the Florida Chief?s Association.
I have been married for 14 years and live in DeFuniak Springs with my wife Erin and our two daughters, aged seven and three.
For more information, please visit my campaign Web site at www.MikeAdkinsonJr.com.
Thank you again for reading this and investing the time to learn about the candidates for sheriff. I hope after visiting my Web site and learning more about me that you will honor me with your vote in the Republican Primary Election on August 26.
Sincerely,
Mike Adkinson, Jr.
Republican candidate for sheriff
