Good evening. My name is Tom Cooper and I am a candidate for the Office of Sheriff for Walton County. I would like to take a few moments of your time and tell you a little about myself.
I have been a resident of Santa Rosa Beach for nearly 20 years and proudly call Walton County my home. I began my career with the Sheriffs Department in 1987 as a Communications Officer and was promoted to Deputy in December of that year. In 1989 I relocated to Ocala, Marion County, Florida for a brief time to be closer to family in South Florida. In 1990, I returned to Walton County and continued my service to the citizens.
In 1995 I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and was appointed to head the newly created Beach Patrol Unit in 1997. In 1998 I resigned after accepting a business proposition in the private sector.
I September 1999, I was hired as Director of Security for the Sandestin Owners Association, a position of which I am still employed. In 2000 I was appointed by Sheriff Johnson to lead his Reserve Division and have served at the Rank of Lieutenant.
I am currently employed by the Sandestin Owners Association, where I am responsible for personnel management of a staff of 40 Security Officers, budget management, policy and protocol management, and the public safety of the community, which consists of 5000 residential dwellings and many thousands of visitors each year.
I earned an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Miami Dade Community College, attended the University of West Florida and Graduated with Honors from Southeast Florida Institute of Criminal Justice in Hialeah, Florida. Through out my career I have received countless hours of training in law enforcement, personnel, financial, and emergency management.
I have served leadership roles on the South Walton Fire District, in the Sandestin Lions Club, and on the Board for Crime Stoppers of Walton County.
The Office of the Sheriff is more than an elected position. It is your employee. It takes a level headed, people person, that possesses common sense, and the knowledge to employ staff with expertise in the areas where he or she may fall short, but the ability to identify those areas.
I have watched the County and the Sheriffs Department grow. I have witnessed first hand the morale within its ranks decline. I have seen the good become bad and I want to make a positive change. I want to surround myself with positive, goal-oriented people that are qualified and empowered to handle the tasks they are given. Doing this will provide Walton County with a committed, dedicated and professional law enforcement service, that will communicate with you.
Once elected, I have many goals for the community and the office, but foremost we must have priorities. With the help of the Citizens, we can achieve these priorities and began meeting our goals. A sound financial department is a must, and this will be our first priority. Secondly we must repair the infrastructure and rebuild the trust of the Office from within. Finally, we will re-open the communication lines between the Office and the Community. None of these will take priority over another; they are all of equal importance and will be addressed simultaneously. Most important, I want to build a proactive department today to meet the needs of the community tomorrow.
I pride myself on treating people fairly and equally, and I will demand the same from our team when elected.
As our campaign takes off, I would welcome the opportunity discuss your concerns in person and identify what you feel the needs of the community may be now and in the future.