BUNNELL – Sheriff Rick Staly has filed paperwork with the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections for re-election as Flagler County Sheriff.
Since Sheriff Staly was elected, he has led FCSO to an historic -54% crime reduction by implementing new service strategies, guardianship policing, adult and juvenile probation checks, immediate contact with Florida Department of Corrections released inmates, modernized Agency technology, created a Problem Area Crime Enforcement team, a state-of-the-art Real Time Crime Center, increased the Traffic Enforcement Unit by 160%, installed radar in every patrol car and implemented rehabilitation programs, mental health and addiction treatment programs in the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility to provide inmates the opportunity to become productive residents. Focusing on preventing youthful crime Sheriff Staly created the Youth Services Section including the Sheriff’s Work Ethic and Training (SWEAT) program to redirect juveniles away from the criminal justice system. Today, every school in Flagler County has a School Resource Deputy assigned to their campus and two SRD’s at each high school to keep our children safe.
“When I ran for Sheriff, I made a commitment to reduce crime in our community, focus on our youth and drugs, crime prevention and professionalize and modernize the Sheriff’s Office. Promises that were delivered! Together, we have achieved a historic -54% crime reduction and your Sheriff’s Office is a national award-winning model for the State of Florida and the country. However, with the fast growth of Flagler County there is still more work to be done to remain one of the safest communities in our region and state,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.
The FCSO is a four-diamond accredited agency. It is accredited by the Florida Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation, the National Institute of Ethics, and the 9-1-1 Communications Center is accredited by the Florida Tele-Communicators Accreditation Commission and the jail is accredited by the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission. FCSO is on the path to a 5th Diamond when the jail’s medical is accredited later this year.
FCSO has been recognized as a leader in law enforcement and has received four national awards. In addition, many of FCSO employees have received individual awards and recognized at state and national levels.
Sheriff Staly serves as Immediate Past President of the Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association (FDSA), the largest Deputy Sheriff’s Association in the Country. He is Past Chair of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Board of Directors and previously served six years on the Commission on Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, including Chair of the Commission. Sheriff Staly was recently appointed by the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture to the Florida Private Investigation, Recovery and Security Advisory Council (PIRSAC) as the state-wide law enforcement representative member and was recently elected by Florida Sheriffs to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Florida Sheriffs Association.
Sheriff Staly is an active member of the local community. He is on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls
Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties. He is Past President of the Rotary Club of Flagler County and Crimestoppers of Northeast Florida. He is also a member of the Volusia-Flagler Police Chiefs Association, the B.P.O.E. Elks of Palm Coast, Bunnell Lodge No. 200 F&AM, and the Flagler County Gun and Archery Club. He is a Life Member of the NRA.
During Sheriff Staly’s public safety service, he has received numerous awards, commendations, and medals. While serving the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, he received the Medal of Valor, OCSO’s Purple Heart award, and the Florida Governor’s Medal of Heroism after being shot three times while saving the life of a deputy sheriff. In 2015, he was awarded the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award by President Obama. In 2019, Sheriff Staly was selected as one of five finalists for the NRA’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.
Sheriff Staly has been awarded lifetime memberships in the National Sheriffs’ Association, International
Association of Chiefs of Police, Southern Police Institute Alumni Association, Florida Sheriffs Association, FBI National Academy Associates, and the Florida Police Chiefs Association. He is also a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
He and his wife moved to Flagler County in 2005 and started a security business based in Palm Coast in 2008. After growing the company to 128 employees with an annual revenue of $3.5 million dollars, he and his wife sold the company to a national security company in 2012. In 2013, he joined the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office where he served as Undersheriff for two years. Sheriff Staly was asked by the community to run for Sheriff in 2015. In 2016, he was elected as the 18th Sheriff of Flagler County and overwhelmingly re-elected in 2020.
Sheriff Staly holds a master’s degree in justice administration from the University of Louisville and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Rollins College. Sheriff Staly is a graduate of the 177th Session of the FBI National Academy, the 79th Session of the FBI LEEDS Program, and the Southern Police Institute’s 79th Administrative Officer’s Course. He is also a graduate of the 112th Session of the National Sheriff’s Institute (NSI), and Session 2 of NSI’s Jail Administration, making him the first Sheriff in Flagler County to graduate from NSI.
Sheriff Staly and his wife, Debbie, are members of Flagler Beach United Methodist Church and live in Bunnell. Sheriff Staly has two grown daughters, Lauren and Diana, and three grandchildren, Aiden, Lexi, and Adalynn.
Media Release: Rick Staly, Republican for Flagler County Sheriff
Featured Image: Flagler News Weekly
