By Stephen Owsinski
Gotta love it when law enforcement executives stand up with/for their deputies and speak against the criminal elements preying on society. We bring you a sampling of Sunshine State sheriffs rebuking evildoers, political correctness be damned.
It may come as no surprise that we kick off the trumpeting for fearless law enforcement leaders with the persona of Sheriff Grady Judd, who presides over the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and models old-school mentality when it comes to right and wrong, aka zero coddling of criminals.
There is a litany of press conferences given by Sheriff Judd, in which he tells it like it is, with a no-holds-barred approach of conveying fact-based information to the public, exhibiting zero concerns over criminals harboring hard feelings over his comments about their wayward behavior. For that matter, I’m unaware of any local or state politicos daring to throw a wrench in Sheriff Judd’s system of rebuking miscreants his deputies bring to justice.
For all his pressers, it is hard to narrow down to one that stands out. There are several compilation videos comprising some highlight moments depicting Sheriff Judd at the press conference podium, candidly exposing negative elements. But I submit the following one is ideally demonstrative of our topic today:
Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies didn’t get into the octagon with an MMA fighter, but they did score a win by using law enforcement strategies to achieve justice for a victim of multiple offenses.
On July 10, 2023, LCSO deputies responded to a convenience station robbery. Once there, they viewed the surveillance system footage and observed 23-year-old Jonathan Michael-Brian Kenny assaulting a woman, reaching into her vehicle, and robbing her cell phone before fleeing the scene.
This sort of situation, where the crime has occurred and the suspect flees before police arrival, ordinarily engenders a BOLO (be on the lookout), with details of the crime/suspect(s) being broadcast by officers via radio and teletyped to other agencies by public safety dispatchers. Seems it worked in this incident.
“While detectives reviewed surveillance video, they were notified the Sanibel Police Department just conducted a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle. In addition, the victim’s phone was pinging in the area of the Sanibel Causeway,” an LCSO spokesperson explained.
That meant the suspect’s vehicle registration was recorded, pointing investigators in the direction of Mr. Kenny’s residence (from where the victim’s cell phone pinged, underscoring Kenny’s involvement in the robbery).
Lee County deputies teamed with Sanibel police officers and visited the home of Kenny. With a warrant in hand, LEOs made contact and arrested the suspect, charging him with Robbery by Sudden Snatching, Deprivation of 911 Access [interfering, disconnecting, or preventing another from making a 911 call], Battery, and drug-related crimes for narcotics found in his home.
“Just because you’re amped up from MMA practice, doesn’t give you the right to lay your hands on a woman or anyone else for that matter,” stated Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “This criminal and anyone who commits violent offenses will face justice.”
Sheriff Marceno is known for reserving rooms at the “Marceno Motel” (Lee County jail) for those who victimize innocents. Getting there is achieved by complimentary transport in an LCSO van advertising to other would-be criminals that they, too, would be provided a free ride if they were to sidestep law and order in the Southwest Florida county.
Speaking of motels, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office gave a rundown of nabbed criminals who were transported to the Gold Star Hotel (branded as such due to the sheriff’s star, which is gold) after being arrested for crimes.
On July 7, 2023, “Deputies responded to the 6800 block of SE Maricamp Road in reference to an altercation. Well, deputies learned that Joshua S. Steinle, had entered a residence and threatened a homeowner. The armed homeowner chased Steinle back out of the home and was later captured by the homeowner which led to the altercation. Deputies arrived on scene and took Steinle to jail where he is actually much safer now.”
That last sentence reference alludes to the brazen nature of some individuals entering people’s homes without permission, often to do harm or commit thievery, implying Mr. Steinle could have been justly shot for his transgressions (aka Castle Doctrine).
On the same day, Marion County deputies went from a franchise-chain motel to the county government “hotel” (jail), after investigating reports of someone being beaten at the former.
“Deputy Samantha French and Deputy-Trainee Bailey responded to the Economy Extended Stay motel in Silver Springs in reference to a battery. They discovered that Brian Hinton had attacked a neighboring tenant. He was taken from that hotel straight to the Gold Star Hotel.”
Sheriff Billy Woods leads the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Like Sheriff Judd in Polk County, Sheriff Woods handles his pressers with straight-up facts and convictions for truth. Here is a brief clip from a triple-murder press conference in April 2023:
Sheriff Woods’ candor illustrates our topic today.
This is a mere sampling of some of the leadership qualities of Florida’s 67 counties and the law-and-order principles Sunshine State sheriffs are unafraid of addressing. This, in a state whose governor is unambiguously pro-public safety and backs it by funding the police.
No wonder, then, why many law enforcement officers formerly of liberal-governed states, considerably ruined by the churn and fester of anti-cop garbage, have made a new home in the Sunshine State.
One can imagine the breath of fresh air being enjoyed by former NYPD or Cali cops thrilled to do police work for law enforcement leaders pushing hard against bad actors who are apprehended and held to account.
This article originally appeared at the National Police Association and was reprinted with permission.
