Humble, sincere, and a lot of swag

Well, this is annoying.

Had a great blog planned for today about Sheriff Dave Vincent fulfilling campaign promises. Turns out, I’ve written it. Twice.
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The man is in his second full year and already earning plenty of accolades.

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If you’re not watching his weekly roundup videos on Facebook, please make it a point to catch the next one. They’re informative, of course, but what really makes it for me is the sheriff’s personality — a combination of warmth, strength, and folksy good humor.

So, for no other reason than it’s Citrus County Fair week, some thoughts on our sheriff’s performance, thus far:

— Many more deputies on the road. The community should feel safe and protected.

— I still can’t get over how Vincent’s predecessor never helped with the transition one iota. He just vanished with the breeze. Vincent didn’t let it get his goat. If anything, he was motivated by that brush off to show what the sheriff's office was truly capable of. Even starting from scratch.

— Vincent promised body cameras for deputies, and we have body cameras. The governor vetoed the money and we have them anyway. Vincent didn’t ask the County Commission to pay for them. Instead, he directed his supervisors to find the money in their own departments.

If nothing else, that’s fulfilling a direct campaign pledge right there. And Vincent’s dedication to get it done, regardless of obstacles he can’t control, sets a tone.

— Let’s talk a minute about Vincent’s “one community, one goal” campaign slogan. He’s definitely incorporated it into the agency’s mission. We’ve noticed a significant uptick in sheriff’s office community involvement the last two years.

It was more than a slogan that got Vincent elected. Yes, the message was incredible and timely. But his opponent ran a truly horrible campaign that reflected accurately his leadership style, and voters responded as they did.

We’ll never see another campaign like that one again. I’m sure candidates will try to emulate Vincent’s message, but that sheriff’s race was one of a kind.

— Public communication…wow. This was one of the biggest stumbling blocks of the previous regime. Citizens were kept in the dark about so much.

I wrote a blog during that time about an incident in a Dunnellon neighborhood with lots of police activity. It was late in the evening, and folks didn’t know what was going on. They saw all the flashing red/blue lights, heard shouts, saw deputies carrying their weapons — and not a peep from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office about what was happening.

That is no longer an issue. The sheriff’s Facebook page regularly updates citizens when there is a large law enforcement presence. 

I learned Monday from the sheriff’s Facebook page that the speed limit on C.R. 486 was being reduced from 50 mph to 40 mph near the Suncoast Parkway construction. (Subject for another day: The parkway is not our friend.)

I’m not bugging the sheriff’s office much these days, but I was curious about that. I sent an email asking for an explanation and received a response in less than 20 minutes. 

My email: “I just saw the CCSO post regarding reducing the speed on CR 486 between Meadowcrest and the parkway. I always believed only the County Commission could reduce or increase speeds on county roadways outside an emergency. This is a 10 mph drop in the speed limit on a major road with no public notice. Can you tell me how this came about?”

The response: “This is a temporary drop in the speed limit for the parkway construction zone. The contractor submitted a request to County Maintenance due to safety concerns; it was approved, and we were notified of the new signs' arrival. We had nothing to do with the decision to lower the speed; we are only notifying motorists of the change.”

There you go. Very simple.

— Sheriff Vincent sticks up for underdogs. He does not stand for bullying. The citizens who gather for peaceful protests on the Courthouse Square know they have the sheriff at their side. He is a man of character and integrity. That reflects throughout his agency.

— And he’s still the most popular guy in the room. The leader we have long sought.

It’s Seniors Day at the Citrus County Fair, so that’s where you’ll find this young dude.

Have a great Tuesday, friends.

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