this is the weekly on click Orlando comm
with Justin warmoth without going
Sheriff Jerry Demings running for Orange
County Mayor I'm just looking to
continue my public service but really in
a different office four candidates are
looking to fill his seats Eatonville
police chief Eric McIntyre and not a
politician
real person businessman Daryl Shepherd
we really want to change the way we're
treated Orlando Police Chief John Mina
the reduction of crime specifically
violent crime is going to be a top
priority and former FHP major Joe Lopez
on the troop public servant that's all I
know how to do this morning each
candidate will explain why they should
be the one to lead one of the largest
departments in the state
good morning I'm Justin warmoth last
week Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings
submitted his letter of resignation
after 10 years on the job he had to
since he's running for mayor and now the
open position is leading to a special
election between four candidates with
four very different backgrounds first an
investigator Michael Feld introduces us
to two of those candidates followed by
my interviews with Chief John Mina and
Joe Lopez
I must been doing something good Eric
McIntyre says he wants to make political
history have integrity and I have
professionalism so I will lead by
example his website outlines an agenda
of safer schools transparency and the
United community in today's community a
neighborhood probably could not tell you
the name of a deputy that patrols their
area McIntyre a Democrat has only been a
candidate for Orange County Sheriff for
a few weeks he says he views himself as
the alternative to OPD Chief John Mina
and former FHP major Joe Lopez not a
politician
the 46 year old law enforcement
professional has a resume that includes
tenure as a SWAT member SWAT commander
along with a short term as chief of
Eatonville Police Department he
currently serves as lieutenant I want
the ones to know that it's their
community and is their voice that
matters but getting voter support takes
money and political clout more than ten
thousand dollars is needed to file by
June 18th you're building up support I
think support comes from water now
McIntyre's Drive and confidence is
undeniable but he still must face the
obvious question is his tenure with the
eatonville Police Department enough to
prepare him for the Orange County
Sheriff's Office two plus two is four
doesn't make a difference what the
budget is and numbers are not going to
change can you win the primary
absolutely can you win the election I
can't and I intend to Daryl Sheppard is
the first to admit he doesn't have the
law-enforcement resume of candidates
Mina
Lopez or McIntyre but at 35 the lifelong
Democrat and business investor tells
News six his campaign for Orange County
Sheriff
offers a fresh voice from the community
we really want to change the way we're
treated we want to change the way
we interact with police and we want to
change the climate today all four
candidates have between June 18th and
the 22nd to qualify for the special
election that includes a candidate oath
a six-page financial disclosure form and
to pay the qualifying fee for Democratic
candidates McIntyre in Shepard that's
more than ten thousand dollars Shepard
says he's ready to qualify and take on
the old guard this is a movement for
change change he says that will include
a mandate for body cams for every deputy
in the field I think there are absolute
necessity it actually creates more
liability when you don't have a backup
source to be able to verify the accounts
that a law-enforcement officer may give
or the accounts that a citizen may give
in the wake of the recent school
shootings Shepherd wants stepped-up
perimeter security metal detectors and
student screening we have to address the
people inside the school not just to
people outside was it a tough decision
to say goodbye to the Orlando Police
Department and take on this new
opportunity or is this something that
you've been thinking about doing for
quite some time well leaving the Orlando
Police Department the home the people
I've worked with for over 27 years is
going to be hard it's going to be
bittersweet for me as I transition into
the next part of my career but you know
I've been a resident here in Orange
County for 28 years this is the
community that I chose to raise my
family I care deeply about the safety of
this community and I feel a huge
responsibility to run for this position
because I know I'm the most qualified
for it on the topic of platforms what
what would you like voters to know in
Orange County what you would tackle if
you are elected sheriff of Orange County
what are some of the things that you
want to get right - well you know first
and foremost the reduction of crime and
a specifically violent crime is going to
be a top priority but there are a lot of
other things that we need to focus on as
well school safety we need to ensure
that we have school resource deputies in
every single school and working very
closely with the school district to
ensure that that is the safest play
for our children the opioid and heroin
epidemic a hundred and seventy four
people are dying a day in this nation I
think we've done a good job here in
Orange County creating the Orange County
task force law enforcement has taken
down some huge drug trafficking
organizations but I think we need to
focus a lot more on prevention and it's
that's not only a law enforcement
function and you know what's very
important to me is the safety of the men
and women of law enforcement
we've seen some tragic cases here just
in Central Florida that I've really
ripped our hearts out so it's important
for me to make sure that our deputies
our law enforcement officers have the
best training and tools available to
them because if they can't keep
themselves safe they can't keep this
community safe the dynamic between
police and deputies and citizens around
the country doesn't seem to be at a
great point right now that we have seen
a number of horrible incidents including
one in Gilchrist County just north of us
where two deputies are just sitting
there and eating lunch and someone
opened fire on them what do you think is
the problem and is that fixable or what
I recommend is community engagement and
that's something that we've done at the
Atlanta Police Department and more so in
the last four years than we have ever
done in the history of the Atlanta
Police Bar and we recognize how
important it is to build trust between
police and the community especially in
some of them are more challenging
communities where trust or distrust of
the police has been there for many years
for things that have happened around the
nation or things that have happened
locally so it's important for us to
engage with our youth more than ever
before I think we're doing a great job
of that
my plan would be to take that the great
things we're doing in the City of
Orlando to the entire county of orange
so you have name recognition certainly
over the other candidate would you say
that's enough to push you through and
and how do you use that name recognition
to make sure that you are elected
well name recognition is not enough I
think what the voters you and all the
voters in Orange County need to know is
I'm the chief of the largest municipal
Police Department in all of Central
Florida it's the fourth largest
municipal Police Department in the state
of Florida I command a thousand
personnel I'm in charge of one hundred
and forty six million dollar budget
I have widespread community support been
endorsed by
Buddy Dyer been endorsed by sheriff
Demings in fact I had the support of
every single mayor in Orange County and
I've testified before Congress before
I've spoken at the White House on police
related issues so I have widespread
community support as well as the
experience that is needed for a position
like this say something happens you
don't win the sheriff of Orange County
what will you do next do you go back to
the Orlando Police Department that's
something that would happen or what what
would what do you think would happen if
that was the case no I've already talked
with the mayor and the mayor's staff
that so I'm definitely gonna win this
election but in in in the event that I
didn't I wouldn't remain as Chief of
Police it's important for for that
police department to continue to grow
and and the next leaders have a chance
at it
okay coming up you'll hear from the
final candidate former Florida Highway
Patrol major Joe Lopez keep it here