Letter from the Sheriff

Hi Everybody, I received this from the Sheriff of Orange County, thought I would pass it on... Dave
My Word by Sheriff Jerry Demings: Youth crime outrageous
As Orange County Sheriff for the past 18 months and a lawman in this community for nearly 30 years, I have worked to ensure that the Sheriff’s Office provides quality law enforcement. I have advocated engaging the community in our crime-reduction strategies to include the various social-service organizations that provide positive alternatives for our children.

It’s understandable that attention has been placed on the recent case of a 14-year-old boy, arrested and charged with false imprisonment involving a 3-year-old girl. This case is moving through the judicial process, with the outcome to be determined by the State Attorney’s office. Meanwhile, there is a much larger issue that should be addressed by our citizens.

Our community sees a significant number of young people involved in criminal behavior, especially violent crime. Law enforcement agencies are doing what we can to prevent and solve crime, but we need everyone’s support in those efforts. It does our community no good to tear down the Sheriff’s Office or any other police agency. I can assure you that I stand for justice and provide the leadership in my agency that protects the rights of all citizens, including the accused.

In 2009, Orange County deputies arrested 4,411 juveniles, 550 of whom were charged with violent offenses. To date, in 2010, there have been 2,398 juvenile arrests, 244 for violent offenses. Our community should be equally outraged by these numbers. I don’t often see that happening, and I believe it’s time for us to come together to address these issues. Although some defendants are young, law enforcement still has a responsibility to investigate and charge them accordingly. Unfortunately, some juveniles are introduced into the criminal-justice system in order to make our overall community safer.

The best crime prevention is to stop crime from occurring. That can be accomplished by better parenting, partnering with our schools and getting children involved in positive activities like the Boys and Girls Clubs, the YMCA, Scouting and faith-based programs.

We are doing our part, and recently through charitable donations, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office provided $1,000 educational scholarships to seven students. Soon, we will commence a mentoring program called Offering Children Successful Outcomes.

Earlier this week, I announced the formation of a citizen-review panel, chaired by the Rev. Randolph Bracy of the NAACP, to review allegations of misconduct involving excessive use of force, official misconduct or other cases I deem appropriate. I applaud Bracy for being a part of the solution. I only hope and pray that we can engage the media and stay focused on these substantive issues.

I respectfully ask the public for patience as we continue the dialogue.


Subject: FW: My Word by sheriff Jerry Demings: Youth crime outrageous
To All Employees:
There has been a lot of discussion about the Orange County Sheriff's
Office in the news recently and some of it was critical of both me and
the agency. In response to the Orlando Sentinel's criticism, I drafted
the attached "My Word" article that was printed in the newspaper today.
I thought you should read what I said for yourselves.
Don't be distracted by the press who is pretty good at sensationalizing
issues in order to sell news. Instead, I ask that you stay focused on
our mission of "Making a Difference" in this community.
As always, thanks for your continued support and good work.
Jerry L. Demings
Orange County Sheriff